Karen's Rescue
by SaffronAngel
Summary: When the youngest of the Cartwright clan is kidnapped by someone with a grudge against the whole family, can she be saved? Will she be lost to them? For those wondering, I am not talking about Little Joe and no Ben did not have a fourth wife.
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: The characters you recognize are not mine. I'm only playing with them for a little bit.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is my first attempt at a Bonanza fanfic. Please don't be too hard on me if I got the characters a little off. I haven't watched the show in between 20 and 30 years.

* * *

Karen Cartwright was sitting on a bench outside the private school she had been sent to. She loved her school but she couldn't wait until she could go back home to the Ponderosa Ranch outside of Virginia City. She missed her brothers and her father.

She knew that her father had promised her mother that he would make sure that she received a proper education back east and he had followed through on that promise. She was a proper lady and knew how to run a home. She knew about the etiquette for hosting parties and dinners and all of the proper social events that a young lady of breeding should know about.

What most of her classmates didn't know about her was that she was a crack shot with a pistol or a rifle thanks to her older brothers. She missed them so much.

Little Joe with his hot temper, a gift from his mother, had always been the one to help her get into trouble when she was younger. Adam, with his thoughtful nature had always been the one she turned to for help when she needed advice. And Hoss, he was the one she always ran to when she needed someone to protect her.

All of her brothers had always been there for her whenever she needed them.

Karen's mother, Jenny Leigh, had died in childbirth and so Karen had never known her. She'd heard stories about her from her father but she had always envied her brothers having at least known their mothers. Or so it seemed.

"Karen Cartwright, the headmistress would like to see you in her office right away please," Miss Eiderdown said in front of the class after being handed a note by the office assistant.

"Yes, ma'am," Karen said as she gathered her books. She left the room quickly and quietly without causing any disruption. She moved through the halls and straight to the headmistress' office.

Arriving there, Karen was instructed to go right in to the office. She entered the door and closed it quietly behind her. "You wished to see me, Mrs. Prentiss?"

"Yes, dear. Please come and have a seat." Once Karen had been seated she noticed that there was another woman in the office. "This is Anabelle Dastrovsky. She was sent by your father to bring you home for a wedding."

"Wedding? Who's getting married?"

"Apparently, your brother, Eric. The wedding will take place in approximately three months. Your father sent Ms. Dastrovsky to escort you home for the wedding and then she will be escorting you back here to finish your schooling."

"What about my classwork?" Karen was thrilled to be getting away from school for a while but she didn't want to seem to excited.

"Well, from what I have heard from your teachers, you are doing extremely well in your classes and are even slightly ahead of the framework in most of them. There will be no problems with you going for the wedding. When you return, you will take the final exams in your current classes and then move on to the next year's classes with the rest of your classmates."

"Well, if everything is arranged, I'll just return to my room and pack my things. I can be ready in about two hours, if that's alright with you, Ms. Dastrovsky?"

"That will be fine, Miss Cartwright. I will just wait here for you to get ready. Then, we can be off. Your father is eager for your return home. As are all three of your brothers."

"I'll return here as soon as I have my bags packed then?"

"That will be fine, miss."

Karen stood and looked at the headmistress. "I shall return as soon as my bags are packed. I see no sense in delaying our departure any further than necessary."

"Very well, Karen. I shall see you when you return." Karen left the room and went straight to her own room to begin packing for the trip. It would be a long one considering the fact that Karen was attending school near her mother's childhood home of Charleston, South Carolina.

They would be traveling all the way to Virginia City by train and from there, they would travel to the Ponderosa via horseback.

Standing in her room, she wondered if she would be assigned to the same room when she returned. She decided she would ask Mrs. Prentiss about that when she returned to the office after packing her bags. She got to work and made sure the four bags that she would need for the trip were ready in short order.

When she put the four in the hallway before making one final check to ensure that she had everything she needed, she was surprised to find two men standing there waiting for her to hand over the bags. "We are traveling with you, miss. Your father sent us as guards for you and Ms. Dastrovsky. There will be a few others as well but nothing to worry about," one of the men said as he took two of Karen's bags.

The other man took the other two. "We'll just put these in the coach while you return to the office and notify Ms. Dastrovsky that you are ready," he said with a smile. Both men seemed rather nice and friendly. She could only hope that any others accompanying them were just as polite and not the usual rough hands that were hired for this kind of job.

Karen walked back to the office and knocked. When she was bid enter, she opened the door and walked in. "Mrs. Prentiss, I have one question. Will I have the same room when I return?"

"We do try to keep you in the same room from the first day of classes here until you graduate but if it must change, we will take care of moving your things to your new room for you. Are you prepared to begin your trip?"

"I am. Thank you." She turned to Ms. Dastrovsky. "If you are quite ready, Ms. Dastrovsky, we can leave."

"I am ready. Thank you, Mrs. Prentiss, for seeing to this so quickly. Thank you, Miss Cartwright, for preparing so quickly." The two walked out of the office and went down to the coach that was waiting to take them to the train station.

Settled into the private car that had been paid for by her father, Karen immediately pulled out her text books and started reading. "You would study on this trip rather than seeing all the beautiful scenery?"

"Yes, ma'am. I've seen the scenery before and I would much rather be prepared for when I return to take my finals. I would hate to waste this time with doing nothing."

"I can understand that. If it will not bother you, I believe I will take a nap. After all, this is a long train ride."

"That won't bother me. Please feel free to take a nap." Karen settled back in her seat and got comfortable. So comfortable that she didn't even notice when the train took a side track that was going away from Virginia City and heading much further north.

When darkness fell, Karen and Ms. Dastrovsky went to enjoy dinner in the dining car. They had a wonderful meal of roast duck in orange sauce, roasted new potatoes, and fresh green beans with bacon in them. Karen didn't notice the scenery around them in the dark.

The two women headed back to their car for some sleep as the train continued its trek in the dark. Anabelle talked to two of the guards outside the door to their private car before joining Karen inside.

"Don't forget. The girl does not leave this car without me at anytime. She is not to get off the train even when it stops. We must keep her in the dark as to exactly where we are until we get to the end of the line. It is the only way to keep her from being able to get word to her father as to where she is. He will pay dearly for what he did to me and my husband. I will see to that."

"Of course, milady. We understand."

"See that you do. You are being paid quite handsomely for this job. Do not fail me. It would go very harshly for you if you do."

"We understand."

She went into the car and the two men took their positions to keep anyone else out of the car and away from the women.

Some two days later, Karen looked out the window and saw trees. A whole forest of trees. "This can't be right! We're going the wrong way!" She turned to find Anabelle holding a gun on her.

"Actually, my dear, we are going the right way. You are not going home. That was just a ruse to get you out of that school and take you somewhere that your family will not be able to find you. At least, not until they pay dearly for what they did to my husband and I 20 years ago."

"What's going on? What are you doing? What did my family do and why do I have to pay for it?"

"You aren't paying for it, dear girl. Your family will. They will pay a large sum to have you safely returned to them. And then, I will return you to them. Only to kill you in front of your father, thus making him pay the ultimate price for his betrayal of my husband 20 years ago."

Karen sat down on her bed, tears welling up in her eyes. Anabelle left the car to relax in the dining car with a drink. Karen sat on the bed, trying to think of a way to get away before this deranged woman sent her message to Karen's family and stole their money.

She couldn't make her pa watch as this woman killed her right in front of him and her brothers. She couldn't let that happen. Nothing her pa had done in the past could possibly warrant this. He was a good man.

 _'I could get off the train. I'll see if anyone's guarding the back. This is the last car on the train. If I can do it, I'll just have to wait until the sun starts going down in order to figure out which way to go. I can head south and hopefully run right into the Ponderosa. Of course, if I don't get there before Ms. Dastrovsky sent her message, my pa and brothers would start searching the area for me. Maybe then, I'll run into one of them and be safe.'_

Karen set up a small bag of clothes and a few other items she might need for the run. She didn't have a clue how far from the Ponderosa she was at the moment. She knew that this wasn't going to be an easy thing to do but she didn't have much of a choice that she could see.

The next morning, Karen slipped to the back of the car and realized that she had been right. No one was guarding the back. She grabbed her bag and moved quickly and quietly as Anabelle was in the dining car having some coffee. She opened the door and slipped out onto the back of the train.

As the train was moving through a forested area of the track, she made her move, jumping toward the most heavily wooded area and rolling quickly into the trees.

She moved quickly back into the woods where she couldn't be seen by anyone just stepping out onto the back of the train. Then, she settled in to watch the sun make its trek across the sky.


	2. Chapter 2

"What do you mean, she's gone?" Anabelle yelled at the two guards. "You had one simple job. Keep an eye on a fourteen year old girl. Was any part of that unclear?"

"No, ma'am. But no one expected her to be crazy enough to disappear like that. We think she might have jumped off the back of the train. There weren't no one watching that area."

"She'll get lost in the woods in no time. It should be no problem to find her. I'll send a message to the others waiting at the cabin to search the woods and find her. She's just a stupid kid and that fancy school they sent her to doesn't teach survival. She'll be terrified."

Anabelle was furious. When she came back to the private car, she had found Karen gone and no one knew where she had gone. What was she going to tell her husband? How had a stupid little spoiled fourteen year old girl escaped?

Karen meanwhile had watched as the sun went down to the west. She had her bearings now. She knew which way was south. And knowing that the forested areas were north of the Ponderosa, she could head south and find her way home.

She moved deeper into the forest, heading to the south. She knew that by now Anabelle had discovered that she was missing and would be looking for her.

She didn't dare stay still because that would nearly guarantee that she would get caught. She couldn't let them catch her. She had to make it home so that her father wouldn't lose any money. And so that she wouldn't get killed in front of her family.

Anabelle decided that, while her people were searching for Karen, she was going to send her message to Ben Cartwright. He had to pay.

Karen had started out as soon as the sun had gone down her first night free. She didn't stop moving for more than a few minutes at a time. She knew that it wouldn't take Anabelle long to get people out looking for her. She couldn't afford to get caught.

If only she could be sure that she was moving in a straight line towards the Ponderosa, she would be a little more sure of herself.

She thought hard about the things that Hoss, Little Joe and Adam had taught her about surviving if she got lost in the woods. They had taught her which berries were good to eat and which ones to avoid. How to make simple traps to catch food or to keep people from following her. She didn't have much to work with but she would be able to make do. She could fish. And she loved eating fish. She could do that for quite some time.

She knew that in order to ever get back home, she would have to keep moving as much as possible. No time to set traps or just sit and fish. She needed to keep moving.

So she did.

Ben Cartwright stood in the living room of the ranch house, reading the telegram that had just been delivered to him.

 _Hello Ben, I'm certain you didn't think you'd ever hear from me again. Well, surprise. I'm back and I will make you pay for betraying my husband and I twenty years ago. I have taken your daughter and I will send you a message later telling you just how much it will cost you to get her back._

 _Anabelle Dastrovsky_

"No!" Ben whispered as he sank into his chair. He stood back up and walked to his desk. "I have to find out if she really has Karen."

He composed a letter to Mrs. Prentiss at the school Karen had been attending and readied himself for a ride to town to get it sent off as quickly as possible. He needed to know as soon as possible. Meanwhile, it might not be a bad idea to get the boys and all of the ranch hands to keep an extra eye out for Karen.

"Pa, where are you going?" came the voice of his middle son. Hoss walked into the room and knew that something was brewing by the look on his father's face.

"I need to mail a letter. Then I need to have you boys and all the ranch hands start keeping a watch for Karen."

"Karen? Why, Pa? What would she be doing here? Summer break doesn't start for nearly another two months."

Ben didn't say a word, just handed his son the telegram that he'd received just that morning. Hoss read it and his own face went pale and his heart leaped into his throat. He didn't want to think about his little sister in the hands of that evil vile woman.

Hoss knew what Anabelle was capable off. She was an evil woman the likes of which made the Devil cringe. "Adam! Little Joe! Come on down here right now!" he bellowed.

His two brothers walked down the stairs and looked at Hoss. He held out the telegram. Adam took it and read it first. Then he passed it on to Little Joe. "Pa?" asked Adam.

"I wrote a letter to the school to get some kind of verification that Karen was gone. I just need to get into town to send it out." Ben sounded lost. His daughter was missing. He hoped it was a cruel hoax that Anabelle was working just to get her sick revenge on Ben. But he didn't think so. He thought that somehow that vile creature had found a way to steal his daughter from the school that he had sent her to.

"Pa, what can we do to help?" Little Joe asked.

"Spread the word to all of our hands to keep an eye out for Karen. If Anabelle did get a hold of her and spirited her away from the school, Karen would find a way to escape. We know that she knows something of survival. She has a chance as long as she doesn't get confused or injured. So we have everyone keep an eye out for her. If we can find her and get her safely within our four walls, we'll be able to keep her safe. Any free time you find, ride and look for her."

"We'll find her, Pa. We'll find her and bring her home."

Adam walked over to his father. "Pa, I'll take that to town for you. You stay here and make sure that everyone knows about watching for Karen."

Ben let Adam take the letter from his hand. Adam turned for the front door and stopped next to Little Joe. "Keep an eye on Pa. Let Hoss take care of alerting the hands to watch for Karen. Pa is your responsibility until I get back. Understand?"

Little Joe just nodded. He went over to Hoss and explained what Adam had said as their oldest brother headed out the door to follow through with what he had promised his father.

Karen had been free for nearly three days. She'd kept moving and was starting to get very tired. She didn't dare stop for more than a short breather or to grab a few berries to eat. She knew that the more distance she put between herself and Anabelle the better.

Right then, all she wanted was to have Hoss find her, any of her brothers to find her really, and take her home where she could sleep in her own bed with her family around her to keep her safe.

How long was she going to have to keep this pace up? She didn't have a clue.


	3. Chapter 3

Mrs. Prentiss read the letter that Ben Cartwright had sent yet again. She was appalled that someone had manipulated her so easily. That woman had presented a letter that she had claimed was from Ben Cartwright and taken the man's daughter from the safety of school grounds and now had her who knew where.

Praying that the girl was safe, Violet Prentiss carefully composed a telegram to Ben telling him what had happened and expressing her apologies for not being more careful.

She could only hope that he would accept her apologies and not file some kind of charges against her for negligence.

Karen had been on the run for nearly four days already. She was weakened by only having eaten berries and drinking water. She had no clue how far she'd come or even if she was still heading in the right direction.

She sat down on a log. She'd been having dizzy spells for almost two days now, ever since a falling rock had caught her in the head. She didn't know how much longer she could continue. She only knew that she had to keep going.

 _'If I can make it home before this kills me, at least I'll get to see Pa and the boys before I die.'_

She prayed that she would be able to see her brothers and father at least once more before the Lord took her from this place.

Stumbling to her feet, she started walking again.

Ben had been riding around the Ponderosa trying to find his daughter. All the ranch hands were looking for her. The three boys had headed off in different directions to try to find her. They had gone prepared for several days camping to extend the range of the search.

Standing on the front porch before he walked inside after another day of fruitless searching, he looked up to the sky. "Where are you, Karen? Are you safe?"

There was no answer.

Anabelle had given up on trying to find Karen after five days. She decided to collect the money from Ben and then leave the country after telling him that his precious daughter had escaped and was probably laying dead in the forest somewhere right then. It wouldn't be as effective as shooting the little brat right in front of her father but it would be effective in its own style.

It would still break a man that most thought couldn't be broken. It would teach him that betrayal came with a heavy price and he had to pay it just like everyone else.

Hoss had gone northeast of the Ponderosa to search for Karen. He'd been out for almost four days now. He only knew that they had to find Karen. Sure, he and his brothers had taught her some things about surviving in the woods but would she remember everything they had taught her in such a situation? Would she be able to find the food she needed to survive?

"Karen! Karen! Come on out, little sister! I'll take you home if you come on out!" Still no response. One more day and then he'd head back. "Please, God, let her be okay."

Adam had gone to the northwest after leaving Ponderosa territory. He was searching for any sign that Karen had been in the area at all.

He too had been out for four days and was hoping that his trail had crossed Karen's somewhere. He was watching for footprints.

There! A footprint! He jumped down off his horse and got closer to the print. It looked to be about the right size for Karen's foot.

Leading his horse, he started searching for other footprints. He backtracked along the trail following the footprints that he could find only to see that the path they left wandered back and forth as if the person leaving them was disoriented or trying to mislead someone.

"Karen! Karen! It's Adam, Karen! Wherever you are, just stay put! I'll find you!" He started following where the steps seemed to be headed.

"Karen! Karen! It's Adam, Karen! Wherever you are, just stay put! I'll find you!" Karen heard the voice. She knew that voice.

Her brother had found her. Or at least, almost found her. She collapsed in a heap on the ground, the last of her strength was gone. She was nearly unconscious.

Just then, Adam walked out of the trees and saw her laying there. He pulled his horse to a stop and ran to his little sister.

Ever so gently, he rolled her into his arms and saw that she was out cold. "Don't worry, Karen. I'll take you home," he said gently to her. He hugged her close for a moment and noticed just how cold she was.

Laying her gently back down, he ran to his horse and pulled out two thick woolen blankets. Running back, he wrapped his sister in the blankets and carried her back to his horse.

He draped her over the horse as gently as he could and then climbed up himself. He pulled her up into his arms and set her securely against him. Turning his horse, he started back toward the ranch, knowing he had to get her home and warmed up so that they could get her to wake up and eat something. For the moment he was happy to hold his sister close to him and let her feel his warmth. He would make different arrangements in the morning when he needed speed to get her home.

Every night, Adam stopped and rested so that he could care for Karen. She had woke up the first night when he took her off the horse and put her into the spare bedroll he'd carried with him. He'd brought a litter along in order to carry the spare bedroll and some extra blankets as well as extra food to feed his little sister with.

She had opened her eyes as he had lay her down on the spare bedroll and covered her up with yet a third blanket. "Adam?" she whispered, not believing her own eyes telling her that her brother had found her and was taking care of her.

"I'm here, Karen. You're safe. I'll get you home. It's going to be about four days, maybe five if I have to take it a little easy in order to spare you some jostling."

"She'll find me. She said she would make Pa pay for betraying her and her husband 20 years ago. That's why she took me. She wanted to make Pa pay." Karen sounded so weak.

"Who did, Karen? Tell me her name."

"Anabelle Dastrovsky. She said Pa betrayed her and so she would make him pay. Adam, protect Pa. Don't let her hurt him." Adam couldn't let his sister know how that name affected him. He just hoped that Little Joe had stayed close to home in order to keep an eye out there.

"She's not going to hurt him, Karen. I promise. But I'm going to take care of you right now. I want to get you home to Pa. He'll be so happy to see you. He's been so worried about you."

He sat with her until she fell back to sleep. He brushed a hand across her forehead and noticed that she seemed a little warmer than when he had first found her. He was hoping that she wasn't developing a fever. He hadn't been kidding when he told her it would take four to five days to get her home.

He knew that on the way home his trail would cross Hoss' and hopefully the two would meet up about there. It would help to have someone take the extra supplies while Adam kept Karen with him. His horse barely even noticed Karen's slight form on its back with him.

He didn't sleep that night, sitting up to make sure that Karen wasn't getting worse. He was worried about the bump he'd seen on his sister's head. Something had hit her in the head. Or someone.

If it had been Anabelle, he would forget everything he'd ever learned about being a gentleman and teach her how it felt to be hit like that. And he wouldn't care what anyone had to say about it.

At first light, Adam had breakfast going and was ready to feed the two of them and then head out for home. He gently washed Karen's face and made sure she ate at least a little of the eggs and bacon he'd brought with him. After seven days of only berries and water, she couldn't eat much but she did manage a few bites. It was enough for now. He'd try some more at lunch.

For now it was time to get moving. He tucked Karen into the litter he'd brought along and made sure she wouldn't fall out.

Once he made sure that the fire was out completely, he swung up onto his horse and started out. Just before he got started moving, he looked over his shoulder. He looked as if he just realized something. Stepping back down, he took a length of rope from his pack on the horse and tied it to the stirrup. Then, he ran it back to Karen, looping it loosely around her right hand. "You just pull on that if you need anything, Karen. Okay?"

"Okay, Adam. I'm glad you found me."

"I'm glad I did too, honey. I'm glad I did too. You just rest easy and before you know it, we'll be back at the Ponderosa and Pa and Hop Sing will be fussing over you like mother hens."

He swung back up on the horse and got it moving. He kept an easy pace that didn't jostle Karen too much. He moved along at a slightly quicker pace than he had last night holding her.

He was still nervous about her weakness. He was worried that she would develop a fever and that it would do more harm to an already fragile system. And if Anabelle were still chasing Karen, he was hoping that she didn't catch up to them until he and Hoss met up at the point where they had split ways after leaving their home territory.

Four days later, Adam stopped for a lengthy rest at the point where he and Hoss had split ways, nearly a days ride out from the ranch house. He set up camp before taking Karen from the litter and laying her out beside the fire circle he had built.

"Why did we stop here, Adam?"

"This is where Hoss and I agreed to meet up after searching for you. He should be along sometime tonight if not early tomorrow. We'll rest here one day and then head on in. That will give both horses a bit of a rest."

They relaxed and Karen dozed fitfully most of the day. She was restless and Adam worried about her. He hoped she could hold on until they got back to the ranch house.

Just before sunset, Adam heard someone approaching and pulled his gun. He wasn't going to let anyone hurt Karen anymore than she already was if he could help it. He looked up and there was his brother. "Hoss! Good to see you!"

Adam stood and greeted his brother. "Any luck?" Hoss asked as he approached the campsite.

Adam simply gestured to the sleeping figure. Hoss smiled his trademark mile long grin when he saw their little sister asleep on a bedroll near the fire. Adam gestured for the big man to step aside with him for a moment.

"When did you find her?"

"About four days ago. I found a footprint and started following them. She was wandering like she was either disoriented or trying to mislead someone. When I found her, she had just collapsed on the trail like a puppet with its strings cut. She was freezing and I got her wrapped up. But, Hoss, I'm worried about her. She has a big bump on her head and she keeps telling me that Anabelle Dastrovsky is the one that took her. If that evil woman had our sister in her hands even for a short time, what could she have done to her?"

"Has she told you anything?"

"No. It's as if she wants to forget all about that and just go home. She keeps telling me that we need to protect Pa. It makes me glad that all the ranch hands are staying sharp and that Little Joe is staying close to home while looking for Karen."

"Me too. I'll be happy to get home and have our little sister tucked in where we can protect her."

"So will I, Hoss. So will I. And we both know that Pa will be really happy to have Karen back at home where we can not only protect her but take care of her. She's always been the fragile one."

"She has. But we love her as much as if she were Pa's biological child. And she's always been one to take just as many chances as we do. She has been so adventurous as she was growing up and I don't think that's going to stop because of going to that fancy school back east."

"I think you're probably right, Hoss. She's not going to change just because of that school. But Pa did make a promise to Jenny Leigh that her daughter would get a good education." Adam looked at his brother. "Let's get some rest and tomorrow we'll get her down to home ground and get the doc out to take a look at her. Make sure that she's okay."

"I think we should probably take turns being on watch just in case Anabelle tries to sneak up on us. If she thinks that we're just going to let her take anything away from us, including Karen, she has another think coming. We don't just hand over our own to anybody."

"Good idea. I'll take the first watch. Four hours and then turn over to you. After four hours, wake me up and we'll get moving down to the house with Karen. Once she's home and safe, we can both sleep if that's what we want."

"I agree. But I'll probably wait until we have Doc's word on how Karen's doing. And if I know you, I'm pretty sure you'll do the same."

Adam chuckled. "You wouldn't be wrong, little brother. And I doubt anyone else will sleep either until Doc tells us that Karen's going to be okay."

The two men settled down near the fire and started fixing some supper so they could make sure that Karen ate something with them and then Hoss would get his rest while Adam sat up and kept watch.

Once a light supper had been prepared, Adam fed Karen first. He didn't press her too hard once she said she was full. "Are you sure, Karen honey?" asked Hoss. He wasn't going to eat anything until Karen had eaten her fill.

Karen's weakened voice broke Hoss' heart. "I'm sure, Hoss. Thank you." She snuggled down under her covers and was asleep before her brothers even got the food on their plates.

"Did she eat much at breakfast or lunch?"

"Very little. From what she can recall she'd been trying to find her way home after jumping from the back of a train and she'd been on the go for seven days when I found her. Pretty much all she'd eaten in those seven days were a few handfuls of berries and a lot of water. I'm grateful for whatever little bit I can get her to eat. I suspect as we get her to eat, her appetite will increase and she'll eat more. And you know as well as I do that Hop Sing will get her to eat if no one else can."

"Hop Sing can get anyone to eat. The food he makes **smells** so delicious that no one can refuse it for long." Hoss smiled, just thinking about Hop Sing's cooking.

Adam smiled too. Both were happy to know that they would be home soon and then came the hard work of making sure that Karen was okay. It would be a long hard road back for the young woman but both Adam and Hoss were sure that she would make it. She was a strong woman.

Would she be strong enough to pull through this?


	4. Chapter 4

Adam didn't even need Hoss to wake him up the next morning. He woke before the sunrise, checking on Karen and then setting to making breakfast. Hoss had already packed down the extras that Adam had packed along on the litter. He had the extra supplies on his own horse and the litter removed from Adam's horse.

They had agreed during the night that speed would be of the essence this morning. So, in order to keep himself busy and save themselves a little time, Hoss had gone ahead and put what few extra supplies remained on his own horse as well as taking the litter off of Adam's horse. Adam had already said that he would carry Karen in front of him on his horse. That way they could move faster.

Hoss decided that he would ride behind Adam in order to run interference for Adam and Karen if they needed it.

It didn't take long to get breakfast ready and ate. Karen ate a few more bites than she had the day before. Then, Adam wrapped her up and climbed on his horse and let Hoss hand the young woman up to him. She sat in front of her brother, astride the horse.

Once Hoss was settled on his horse as well, Adam spurred his horse to start out.

Both horses were moving at nearly a full gallop. They were in a hurry to get to the house and get Karen settled in her own room. They knew that she would be safe there and they could focus on taking care of her.

It was about lunch time when the house came into a distant view. Karen wasn't sitting as stable in front of her brother as she had started out sitting. She was weaving a bit.

Adam was getting worried. Karen hadn't reacted to the last few times he'd spoken to her. She was getting wobbly and Adam didn't know what to do about it. He went ahead and spurred his horse to greater speed. Hoss did the same but he knew that something had to be wrong for Adam to have spurred his horse that way. His horse was nowhere near as fast as Adam's but he continued to follow his brother hoping that whatever had caused him to worry would not be as serious as he may think it was.

Adam was having to hold on to Karen a little bit tighter because he was afraid she might fall off and he didn't want to chance Hoss' horse running her over.

Passing the front gate of the main part of the ranch, Adam started pulling his horse to a halt in front of the house. Little Joe and Ben were on the front porch, having been alerted to the boys' approach by some of the ranch hands.

Little Joe came out beside Adam's horse, catching his little sister as she slid off, unconscious yet again. Adam jumped down and took her from Joe, sweeping her up into his arms and starting for the house.

Ben yelled to the ranch hands nearby for someone to go into town and bring back the doctor and get moving now. Two hands ran to their horses and leaped into the saddles, charging out the gate before Ben even finished yelling. Two more grabbed both Adam's and Hoss' horses and started rubbing them down before taking care of them.

Adam moved through the house with only one goal in mind, getting Karen into her own bed. He didn't care about anything else at the moment. Ben and Little Joe were right behind him and Hoss wasn't too far back from there.

Settling the teenager on her bed, Adam quickly took off her shoes and pulled the covers up over her as soon as he got her unwrapped from the blankets he'd had her in. He lay one hand across her forehead and nearly jerked it back when he felt the fever raging through his sister.

"Pa, we need some cool water and clean cloths. She's burning with fever. We need to bring it down."

Little Joe ran out of the room and down the stairs to get a bowl of cool water and the cloths. Meanwhile, Adam took the covers off of his little sister and pulled the socks off her feet. "Hoss, open the window. We need some fresh air in here. It should help cool her down a bit." Hoss threw open her bedroom window wide, letting in the maximum amount of air.

It was almost an hour later before the doctor entered the room. When he did, he looked carefully at Karen before praising Adam for his quick thinking.

"Adam, were you the one who took off her socks and uncovered her before using the cool cloths on her arms and forehead? And opened the window?"

"I knew that we had to bring her temperature down. It was too high and I wanted to bring it down fast. I couldn't think of anything else to do. Hoss has been bathing her feet Little Joe was doing one arm while I did the other as Pa did her forehead. Hop Sing has been running back and forth bringing fresh water."

"You did right. Good job. You've all done well. Her temperature is nearly normal now. Does anyone know where this bump on her head came from?"

"No. She'd been missing for some days when we found her about five days ago. That was there then. I'd been worried about it since I found her. She'd been wandering around and acting like she was disoriented. She's passed out a few times since but I've always been able to rouse her. This time I couldn't."

"Sorry, Adam," came a whisper from the bed. "Don't mean to be such a bother."

Adam fell to his knees beside the bed. "No. Not a bother, Karen. We don't mind taking care of our little sister. That's what big brothers are supposed to do. But you did scare me this time. Can you tell us how you got the bump on your head?"

"Rock hit me. It fell down a cliff and landed right there." She lifted a hand weakly and pointed to the spot. "I was so scared. So scared that she would catch me and kill me. She told me that she would kill me right in front of Pa."

"Who would, Karen? Tell me who wanted to do this." Ben was being as gentle as could be with his daughter. He knew she wasn't in any shape to deal with his temper.

"Anabelle Dastrovsky. She said – she said she would make you pay for betraying her and her husband 20 years ago."

"It's alright now, Karen. You're safe and we'll all make sure that you stay that way. She can't get to you here." Ben brushed his hand across his daughter's forehead and moved the hair back from her face. "I promise you, sweetheart. You're safe here. All the ranch hands are watching out. They'll let us know if she comes here."

"She wanted you to pay money, Pa. She said she would send you a message about paying her money."

"She did, honey. Told me that she had you and would kill you if I didn't pay her what she demanded. I knew that she'd do it anyway. I told her that it would take me a while to get it together and that I needed the time to do it. She gave me the time and then Adam found you and brought you home to us. You are safe. She can't hurt you here. And we'll keep you safe. She knows better than to come here knowing that she doesn't have you. She has no bargaining chips left but she doesn't know that yet. She has no clue that we found you. That we have you home safe and sound."

"Pa?"

"Yes, Karen. I'm right here." Ben took her hand and kissed her forehead.

"Pa, she didn't think I'd jump from the train but I did it. I did it and started back this way. I found my way. The boys taught me how to survive and I made it a good portion of the way."

"She's not fooling, Pa. She told me that she'd been running for seven days by the time I found her and she was only five days out from the ranch. She's real weak. Before I found her, from what she told me, she'd only been eating berries and drinking water. I managed to get her to eat a few bites at each meal since then and she's eaten a little more each time I put food in front of her."

The doctor looked at Ben. "I'd like to talk to you in the hallway please, Ben."

Ben bent over his daughter. "I'll be right back, Karen. I'm just stepping out into the hallway with the doctor. I promise. I'll be right back."

She nodded and Ben followed the doctor out into the hall. Little Joe stepped up to where his dad had been and took Karen's hand. "Welcome home, little sister. Missed you."

"Little Joe!" she cried. Tears started spilling from her eyes. "I wasn't sure if I'd ever see you again. There were a few moments when I wasn't sure I'd ever get home. I kept thinking about how much I wanted to be here again. That was what kept me going. I don't think I would have lasted much longer if Adam hadn't found me when he did. I was having a harder and harder time finding anything to eat. And I didn't dare take time to fish or hunt anything. I was afraid that Ms. Dastrovsky would catch up to me. I couldn't chance it. And by the time Adam found me, I was too weak to do any hunting."

"Easy, Karen. Relax. You did it. You made it back her and now, we're going to take care of you. You're safe now. And like Pa said we'll keep you safe. There's no one that's going to get to you now. Not without us being right here with you." Little Joe hated seeing Karen this upset. He'd hated when she was just little and he still hated it. Especially when it was something that only she could overcome. He had always loved his little sister, just like Adam and Hoss, and, just like his older brothers, would do anything to keep her safe and happy.

"He's right, Karen. Nobody's going to get to you as long as we have each other and Pa. And let's face it, our ranch hands are as loyal as they come. Why, I'll bet Pa could even call on our Shoshone friends to help out if need be," Hoss chimed in. Hoss' blood was boiling at his sister's tears. He remembered Anabelle Dastrovsky, remembered how she'd almost killed Adam 20 years earlier. That was what had caused all the trouble in the first place.

 _ **FLASHBACK**_

 _ **Anabelle Dastrovsky and her husband Gregori had been traveling with a caravan that was heading for San Francisco. When they met the Cartwrights in Virginia City, they all noticed that Gregori was far older than his wife. As a matter of fact, Gregori was actually introducing Anabelle as his daughter.**_

 _ **Anabelle had been a lovely young woman of only 20 when they had been in Virginia City. Adam had been a young man and he'd been taken in by Anabelle's charms. Anabelle started flirting with Adam and he had been interested.**_

 _ **Just days before the caravan was ready to press on, Anabelle claimed that Adam had taken advantage of her and raped her.**_

 _ **The sheriff had questioned both Anabelle and Adam as well as several others who testified to the fact that Adam had never gone anywhere alone with Anabelle the whole time. But, even though the sheriff had been convinced that Adam had done no wrong, Gregori hadn't been. He challenged Adam to a duel in the streets.**_

 _ **Just before the duel, several people from the caravan asked Gregori what had happened and he told them, right in the middle of the street, that Adam had accosted and raped his wife. When the townspeople had argued that Gregori had introduced Anabelle as his daughter, it degenerated into a fight right in the middle of Virginia City's main street.**_

 _ **Once everything had been broken up, the sheriff informed Gregori that if he was still with the caravan when they came back through Virginia City, he might want to avoid the city on the return trip. Anabelle had thrown a fit and declared that she would have her revenge on the Cartwright clan, especially on Adam.**_

 _ **Gregori had done injury to Adam during the fight. He'd stabbed Adam with a rather long and wicked-looking knife. They had found out later that the knife had been filthy when he stabbed Adam with it.**_

 _ **Adam came down with a serious infection in the wound and it nearly killed him. Ben had sat by his side for hours watching over him. Hoss had sat with his father and brother as the doctor tended him.**_

 _ **As the caravan had headed out, Hoss watched them go. Anabelle and Gregori still ranting and raving about how they had been the injured party and they would get their revenge.**_

 _ **FLASHBACK ENDS**_

Hoss was hoping that Anabelle wouldn't come anywhere near the Ponderosa. He still felt that he owed her for what her husband had done to Adam all those years ago as well as for the lies they had told everyone. Virginia City wasn't a forgiving place when it came to those who wrong their favorite sons.

Anabelle sat in her coach, looking at Virginia City from a high perch. "This plan is falling apart. And all because of a stupid fourteen year old child," she hissed. "My men have discovered that that little bitch has found her way back home. Thanks to Adam Cartwright. Now that she's within their property, she's safe. They even got the doctor to come out and check her over."

"What do you want us to do, ma'am?" asked one of the men riding with her.

"We'll hold back for a bit. See what they do next. Maybe we can find an opening and destroy the Cartwrights yet."

The man almost shuddered when he saw the look on her face. He was not a nice man but the evil look on Anabelle's face would have made the Devil himself cringe.

Karen was gradually getting better. Hop Sing came in everyday with some soup at lunch and would not leave until Karen ate at least half of what he brought in with him.

"Hop Sing, you're going to make me fat," Karen protested one day.

"Not fat. Karen too skinny. Need meat on bones. Man no want skinny girl. Meat on bones mean healthy woman. Skinny mean sickly."

"Hop Sing, you are something else. You're always there to take care of any of us."

"Karen need eat. I cook. You eat." He pushed the bowl into her hands and sat down. Karen looked down and noticed that what Hop Sing had made this time was a thick hearty beef stew.

"Hop Sing, this looks wonderful and smells just as good!" She picked up the spoon and started eating the stew. Her first bite brought a look of complete and utter bliss to her face. "Magnificent!" She continued eating until there was only a piece or two of potato and a carrot at the bottom of the bowl.

"Good girl!" Hop Sing praised.

"I hate even leaving that tiny bit but I just can't eat another bite." She looked at Hop Sing with an apology in her eyes.

"No apology. Very good. Very good." He took the bowl and left the room after patting Karen on the head.

Adam walked in just after Hop Sing had left and smiled at his little sister. "How do you feel this afternoon, Karen?"

"Better. Hop Sing just brought me some wonderful beef stew. I ate all but two pieces of potato and a carrot. I hated leaving even that much but he was happy with how much I ate. I just couldn't eat that last little bit. I felt like a pig after eating so much."

"Well, it's good that your appetite has returned. We were all starting to get worried that it might not come back after your ordeal."

"It did. And how!" She smiled up at the man she'd always claimed as her big brother. But now she had a question. "Adam, I remember hearing something while you and Hoss were talking before we got back here. One of you mentioned that you all loved me as if I were Pa's biological child. What did that mean? I'm not Pa's real daughter?"

"Oh, honey. I didn't realize that you heard that. You've never been told much about your Ma have you?"

"No." She shook her head. She wasn't sure if she really wanted to hear this but she had brought up the topic and now she had to face the facts. She was about to find out something very important.

"Is it alright if I bring Pa in here to join this conversation?"

"I guess." She tried to hide the uncertainty in her voice but Adam caught it.

"I'll be back in just a little bit with Pa." He stepped away from the door and knew that what she was going to hear would break her heart. She had always believed that she was Pa's biological child and now she was going to find out that she wasn't actually related to any of them.

She watched as he walked out the door, fighting back the tears that started welling up in her eyes. She thought she had it all figured out. Maybe she was actually Adam's daughter and Pa adopted her in order to make sure that she was properly taken care of. That would explain why the two had always been so close.

Now all she could do is wait until Adam got back with Pa so that she could get the truth.

Adam walked down the stairs with a very thoughtful look on his face. Hoss saw him first. "What's the thoughtful look for, Adam?"

"Apparently, Karen heard us talking out there and she heard you say that we all loved her as if she were Pa's biological child. She just asked me about it. I told her I was going to get Pa to join in the conversation. She deserves to know the truth. I'm just not sure if she can handle hearing it right now. She's still not fully recovered. And I honestly don't know how she's going to take it."

Ben walked into the room. "How's Karen doing today?"

"She's better. Pa, she asked me a question today and I think she needs an honest answer but I'm not sure if this is the right time to do this."

"What question did she ask?"

"When we were bringing her home, she fell asleep and, while she was asleep, Hoss made the comment that we all loved her as if she were your biological child. She just asked me if that meant that you weren't really her Pa. She told me that I could bring you up for this conversation. But Pa. I don't know if she's really ready for the truth right now."

"I guess it's time to tell her. To tell her the truth about Jenny Leigh and Aaron. Adam, you come with me."

"Pa, I didn't know she'd hear me. I wouldn't have said it if I'd have thought she'd hear it. Pa, please forgive me."

"Hoss, you didn't do anything wrong. I guess this is just the Lord's way of telling me that it's time to tell her the truth." Ben sighed as he looked at the stairs. "Come on, Adam. Let's get this over with. Best to do it now."

Before going up the stairs, Ben went to his desk and pulled out a picture. In the picture, a young couple were smiling at each other in front of a wagon. She was obviously pregnant. "Jenny, I never meant to drag this out so long. But now I have no choice but to tell her the truth. May God give me strength."

He started up the stairs with Adam right behind him.


	5. Chapter 5

Karen was sitting up in her bed when Ben and Adam walked into the room. Adam closed the door behind them and took a seat on one side of the bed while his father sat on the bed next to Karen.

"Karen, Adam told me about your question. I came up to explain some things to you. Things I should have explained before this but always thought that you were too young. I'll be honest with you. I still think you're too young for this. But since you have asked the question, I believe it's time to answer it."

 _ **FLASHBACK**_

 _ **Almost fifteen years earlier, the Barkley family had been visiting the Cartwrights when one of the ranch hands came running in. "Mr. Cartwright! Some rogue Indians are attacking a wagon train just east of Ponderosa lands!"**_

 _ **All of the men jumped to their feet and ran out the door, swinging up on to horses and riding after the hand to try to help the people of the wagon train.**_

 _ **Audra and Victoria stayed at the house to see if they brought back any injured people.**_

 _ **About two hours later, the Cartwright and Barkley men came riding back into the front yard of the ranch house with one woman who was very pregnant and breathing like... "She's in labor! Bring her inside right away!" Victoria turned to her daughter. "Audra, go ask Hop Sing to boil some water and get some clean cloths from him. Then come upstairs and find us." Victoria then turned to follow Ben and Jarrod up the stairs to see which room they put the young woman in.**_

 _ **Victoria told her oldest son to sit down beside the woman and hold her hand. Ben noticed that Jarrod was more than a little nervous about this. "Jarrod, out. I'll do it. I helped with the birth of each of my sons. I can help this woman through it too."**_

 _ **Ben sat down next to the woman and took her hand. "My name is Ben Cartwright. What's your name, young lady?"**_

 _ **"Jenny Leigh Taverson."**_

 _ **"How old are you, Mrs. Taverson?"**_

 _ **"I'm twenty. Aaron and I haven't been married very long. Just a year and a half. This is our first baby."**_

 _ **"How wonderful! Would you prefer a boy or a girl?"**_

 _ **"I think a boy should come first. Aaron keeps saying he would prefer a little girl that looks just like me. He's so sweet."  
"I agree. He sounds like a wonderful man. Do you know what happened?"**_

 _ **"Indians attacked us. Why would they do that?"**_

 _ **"Those were rogue Indians, Mrs. Taverson. They don't like white folk at all."**_

 _ **"Is Aaron okay?"**_

 _ **"I'm sorry, dear. He didn't make it. My ranch hands are out burying the dead now. I'm afraid your Aaron was among them."**_

 _ **Just then, Jenny Leigh screamed. A true contraction had shot through her body. Victoria had pulled a chair to the end of the bed and sat down, ready to deliver a baby. Another contraction shook the woman's body and Victoria smiled. "It looks like this little one is more than ready to arrive. I hope Momma's ready."**_

 _ **"I think so."**_

 _ **"With the next contraction, my dear, I want you to push down. It'll help the baby come out. Ben, you might want to help her sit up some for the pushing. It should help." Just then, Adam appeared at the other side of the bed, gently nudging Audra out of the way.**_

 _ **"I'll help Pa. You help your mother if she needs it."**_

 _ **"Alright. Thank you, Adam."**_

 _ **"Of course, Audra." Adam put one arm around Jenny as Ben did the same on the other side. "Ma'am, I'm going to help my Pa help you to sit up some for this part. Is that alright with you?"**_

 _ **"Yes!" Jenny screamed as she started pushing down to get the baby out.**_

 _ **Victoria caught the baby and held it, instructing Audra in holding the umbilical cord with tension so that the placenta could be expelled. Meanwhile, Victoria took one of the cloths and started wiping off the baby.**_

 _ **The baby's first cry was a beautiful thing. "It's a girl. A beautiful little girl," Victoria said.**_

 _ **"Mother? Something's wrong," Audra called. She was still holding the umbilical cord and looking as blood started pouring out of the woman's body.**_

 _ **Victoria looked. "Lay her back down. Ben, come down here and take the baby. I'll have to remove the placenta myself."**_

 _ **"What happened, Victoria?"**_

 _ **"The placenta tore loose. That would be my guess. I've heard stories about this type of thing. If it tore the walls inside when it came loose, this woman will probably bleed to death."**_

 _ **"Mr. Cartwright?"**_

 _ **"Yes, Jenny Leigh?"**_

 _ **"If I don't make it, will you adopt my daughter? I believe you can take good care of her. And I want her to have the best."**_

 _ **Ben didn't know what else to say. "I promise, Jenny. I promise. The best I can give her."**_

 _ **Jenny nodded. With a smile, she passed from this world, never having even seen the little girl she had so bravely brought into the world.**_

 _ **FLASHBACK ENDS**_

 __"So, after we had taken care of everything else, I spoke to Jarrod about drawing up the paperwork for me to adopt you. Victoria, Audra and Adam signed as witnesses to the fact that Jenny Leigh asked me to adopt you in the case of her death. The ranch hands took her out and buried her next to her husband. And every year on your birthday, we put a small bouquet of flowers on your mother's grave. Since that day, you, my dear, have been Karen Elizabeth Cartwright, my daughter." Ben finished the story and looked carefully at the young woman that had, in the eyes of the law, been his daughter for fourteen years. "I have never seen you as anything but my daughter. The boys have never seen you as anything but their sister. And no one else has ever been the wiser with the exception of the Barkley family and they will not tell anyone."

"When I'm better, will you and the boys take me out to my parents graves? I'd like to see them please, Pa."

Ben nodded. "I believe that can be arranged. Are you okay with all of this?"

"It may take me a while to come to terms with certain parts of the story, but I will be just fine. With this and everything else. After all, I'm a Cartwright." She smiled at her father and he smiled back.

Ten days later, Karen was as well as she was going to get just laying in bed. Now it was time to get up and get moving. She'd never finish getting better if she didn't.

After she got dressed that morning, she decided that she was going downstairs to eat breakfast with her family. She was actually in the dining room before any of the others even showed up, sitting in her usual seat and ready to eat.

When Ben walked in, he was surprised to see Karen sitting there in her usual seat with her hands neatly folded in her lap just waiting patiently for everyone else to arrive. "Karen! How wonderful! I'm glad you felt well enough to come down today!" And when he wrapped his arm around her and hugged her close, she knew he was telling her the truth.

She got pretty much the same reaction from each of her brothers as they entered the dining room. They were all so glad to see her out of bed, especially Adam.

"Good morning, Karen!" he exclaimed when he saw her sitting at the table. "This is a welcome change!"

"Isn't it though, Adam?" Hoss agreed. "She looks so much happier down here than pinned up in that bed." Then, Hoss got a thoughtful look on his face. Karen knew what was coming next. Hoss was going to tease her. "Although it's possible that she dragged it out just so that she could be babied sitting there in bed. I'll bet she came down today because she knew that one, if not all of us, was going to drag her out of there today and make her get back into the real world."

Ben laughed along with everyone else. Karen looked at her middle brother, laying her hand on the side of her face. "Oh darn! You figured me out, Hoss!" Ben burst out with a belly laugh and Hoss was right behind him. Little Joe and Adam laughed too.

Just then, Hop Sing walked in with the first part of breakfast in his hands. "All sit! Time eat! Sit! Sit!" Hoss and Little Joe scrambled to their seats and sat down before Hop Sing decided to take the food back to the kitchen.

 __Karen thoroughly enjoyed eating breakfast with her family that morning. Especially after spending so long in bed just trying to recover from her ordeal.

She had no idea that the worst was still on the horizon.


	6. Chapter 6

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This chapter is for Ritachris01. Thank you so much for the support on this story.

About six months after her escape from Anabelle Dastrovsky, Karen had started to relax a little and had fully recovered from the ordeal of escaping from the woman who had vowed to destroy the Cartwrights. Ben and the boys had followed through and took her to her parents' graves.

Ben had given her the picture of Jenny and Aaron in front of their wagon so that she would know what her parents looked like. She had spent a good deal of time looking at the picture, imagining what her parents would think of her if they could see her now.

"I think they would burst with pride if they could see what a fine young woman you've grown up to be, honey," Ben told her one afternoon when he found her looking at the picture and asking her parents what they think of her.

"Are you sure, Pa? Have I really become a fine young woman? I know that some people think that its wrong to bring a girl up in an all-male household, but I don't see any problem with it unless you treat the girl like just another boy. You and the boys have never treated me as anything but a girl. A very cherished and treasured girl."

"You brought softness into our lives, Karen. Made things around here a little sweeter and easier to deal with. Gave us a new perspective on life, which was something we all needed whether we wanted to admit it or not. You are a fine young woman and I am very proud to call you my daughter." He hugged her. "Now why don't you go ahead and go for a ride? It's a beautiful day out there and some fresh air is just what the doctor ordered."

Karen climbed off her bed and ran down to the stable to saddle her horse and go riding.

Karen had ridden out to her parents' graves again. She sat on the ground nearby right in between the two. She enjoyed sitting out here on nice days and just relaxing.

This time, she didn't see the two men sitting astride their horses and watching her from a distance.

"Mike, you loose her horse and scare it off. I'll grab her. We'll meet back at the cabin."

"Okay, Jim. But remember. The boss lady said we couldn't do nothing more than grab her for now."

"I know. But hopefully soon, the boss will let us have some fun with her. She's so cute."

"I hope so too. She looks like she could be a lot of fun." The two men started to make their move.

"Hello, little lady. You look to be a little lost," Jim said when he rode up to where Karen was sitting.

"This is my Pa's land. I know exactly where I am." Suddenly, she heard a whinny behind her and turned to see her horse galloping back toward the house. "Oh no! Tamarind! Tamarind, come back!"

Jim had stepped off his horse and grabbed Karen, slapping a chloroformed cloth over her mouth in order to keep her quiet until they could get her to the cabin the boss had set up for them to take her to. Handing her to Mike for the moment, he climbed back on his horse and had Mike hand her up to him. Then, Mike stepped into the saddle and the two spurred their horses off toward the cabin.

Back at the house, Adam had just stepped out on the porch for a moment when Karen's horse came galloping up into the yard. Adam stepped off the porch and held out a hand. "Easy, Tamarind. Easy, boy." Once he had a grip on the reigns, he looked closely. The horse had been saddled by Karen alright. She had a particular way of cinching down the saddle on a horse and it was as good as a fingerprint. At least to Adam it was.

He looped the reigns around the railing of the porch and walked inside. "Pa? Pa?"

"Yes, Adam?"

"Did Karen go riding today?"

"Yes. Why?"

Adam just signaled for his father to follow him out to the porch. When Ben saw Tamarind standing there, his eyes went wide. "What?"

"I don't know, Pa. He just came galloping into the yard, no sign of Karen anywhere. I don't know where she rode to or what happened. But I think we better start looking for her. We never found Anabelle. She could still be around and may have set up to get a hold of Karen again."

"I'll go get Hoss and Little Joe. You go out to the bunkhouse and alert the ranch hands. I want every inch of the Ponderosa searched high and low to find her."

Adam ran for the stables to get his horse and head out to the bunkhouse to follow his father's instructions. Meanwhile, Ben went inside to find Hoss and Little Joe.

If Anabelle had Karen again, there was no telling what the poor girl would go through this time.

When Karen woke up, she found herself tied to a bed in a cabin. She couldn't see the cabin due to a blindfold but she knew she was on a bed because she could feel the mattress under her. Her legs were apparently tied to the foot of the bed and her hands to the headboard. This was enough to scare her because she had no clue who had taken her or why.

"You sure are a pretty young thing," a male voice rasped right in her ear. "You should fetch a pretty penny in ransom."

"But maybe her Pa won't pay, Jim."

"Then, the boss may let us teach him a lesson through her," the first man said with a sinister laugh. The second man started laughing and Karen fought not to let them see her cringe.

Ben pulled his horse up beside Jenny Leigh's grave. He knew that Karen had been spending a lot of time here lately. He wished she was his biological daughter, even though he knew that he couldn't love her more even if she was his daughter biologically. She was his pride and joy, a beautiful person inside and out.

He dismounted and knelt beside Jenny's grave. "Jenny, if you have any clue as to where Karen may be, I wish you could tell me. I haven't got any idea where to look for her."

A breeze blew up and Ben noticed a ribbon blowing in a branch not far away. He walked over to it. It was the one Karen had been wearing when she went riding. Whoever had her must have dropped the ribbon and not even noticed it.

That was when he saw the hoof prints in the dirt. Some looked like two horses each carrying one person. But then he saw some that looked like one horse carrying two people. They were a bit deeper in the dirt. Ben turned and jumped back on his horse and headed for the house to get some more people now that he had a basic direction of where to look for Karen. That narrowed things down a bit.

They would find Karen. These people would not get away with a Cartwright.

Ben had ridden hard to get back to the house, gathering the Cartwright riders as he went. Once everyone was back at the house, he stood on the porch and told them what he had found. Hoss spoke up. "Pa, there's an old cabin out that way. It's just off Ponderosa land. I don't think it's in very good shape but it would definitely be a place to start. They may have stopped there to rest and make sure they had her set for a long trip. And maybe they had some supplies stocked there for the trip out that they would have to pick up."

"Good thinking, Hoss. Why don't we head out and check the cabin first? We can spread out from there," Little Joe said. "Spread out around the cabin and we're more likely to pick up the trail and actually catch these guys and bring Karen home."

"That sounds like a start to me, Pa," Adam said with a grim look on his face. Ben knew exactly what Adam was thinking. Whoever took Karen this time would pay dearly for taking her from them. And Lord help them if it was Anabelle Dastrovsky. Adam, at least, would show no pity for the woman who had damn near cost him his life.

Karen lay on another bed in another cabin. The men had taken her from the one they had started out in rather quickly and fled to one further away. At least, Karen could say they had fed her and kept her warm.

But she wasn't sure how long they would wait for their boss to take care of business before they ruined her completely. The two men kept touching her ankles under her skirt and running their hands up her legs to at least her knees.

She had done everything in her power not to make the two men angry. She could only hope now that she could keep them from going further up her legs and finding the rather large Bowie knife that she carried strapped to her thigh. If she could get loose and get it out, she could free herself.

Until then, she could only pray that her family would find her and rescue her before these two men followed through on their insinuated threats.

Karen had been missing for almost a week when Ben got word through his Shoshone friends that there was a group of renegades in the area attacking anything that moved and wasn't Indian.

Ben reluctantly pulled his riders back in, not wanting anyone to get hurt. But he was devastated by the thought of not being able to look for the daughter he loved so.

Seeing his emotions cross his face, his Shoshone friends offered to continue the search for Karen. If they found her, they would keep her safely hidden in their village until the renegades moved on.

Ben took them up on the offer and thanked them most profusely. They told him that once the renegades had moved on, they would bring his daughter safely back to him. He agreed and they shook on the arrangement.

That evening, Ben sat at the table with his sons and informed them of the deal he had reached with his friends. "Tomorrow, I want Adam and Little Joe to go into Virginia City and inform the sheriff of the fact that there is a group of renegades on the move through the area. That way, he can warn anyone who thinks they need to leave town to be on the alert."

"Yes, Pa," both men said at the same time.

"And you two stay alert as well. I have one child missing. I don't need to lose any others."

"Yes, Pa." Both had been a little more subdued that time. They understood where Ben was coming from. They didn't want to put him through that.

Everyone retired to bed early that night. It was going to be a long day the next day.

Unfortunately, the two that held Karen had no clue about the renegades in the area. One of them went out hunting the next morning to make sure that they had enough food in the cabin and he was killed and scalped by the renegades.

The second man got worried when the first didn't come back. He didn't dare go outside the cabin just in case the Cartwright men had found them. If he stayed inside, he had Karen to use as a shield.

After three nights, he got tired of waiting to hear from the boss and decided to take Karen in place of the pay that he obviously wasn't going to receive. Just as he was about to start with Karen, he heard several horses galloping up to the door.

He lifted the curtain at the window and was greeted with a painted face. He dropped the curtain and backed away from the window. "Indians!" he breathed.

"Untie me. If they're Shoshone, maybe I can convince them to let you go. My Pa has friends among the Shoshone. Untie me, please."

"And what if they're not Shoshone?"

"At least, I can die defending myself. Please."

"No. You're mine until I get paid. I'm keeping you right here."

Just then, the door flew open and three Shoshone rushed the man and dragged him outside. The brave in charge of the hunting party spoke to him. "Who are you and what are you doing on Shoshone land?"

"I was just traveling through. My horse was tired and I stopped here to rest. That's all."

The brave signaled to another who went inside. The one that came into the cabin saw Karen laying on the bed, tied down and he immediately moved to release her. Once she was free, he held her arm to steady her on her feet before walking her outside.

"Hello, Karen Cartwright." Karen recognized the brave in charge immediately.

"Tall Wolf! Thank goodness! Will you take me home?"

"I will. But first we must deal with this man who had you away from your family wrongly. Did he hurt you?"

"No, Tall Wolf. He tied me down and implied that he would hurt me. But he did not actually hurt me. I just want to go home to my Pa and my brothers."

"In that case, we will let him go with a warning." He turned to the man. "Get on your horse and go. Never trespass on Shoshone land again. Next time, we will not be so merciful."

The braves holding the man let him go and he took only a few minutes to saddle his horse before mounting it and riding off at a full gallop. He gestured to two braves who immediately mounted their horses and followed the man.

"I want them to make sure that he leaves our lands and does not return to follow us back to the village." He held out a hand to Karen. "Will you ride with me, Karen Cartwright?"

"I will, Tall Wolf. Thank you." She took the man's hand and swung up behind him with his help. "Will you be taking me to the village or to my father?"

"We will return to the village first. I wish to see if the band of renegades that was in the area has moved on. If they have not, we will keep you safely in the village until they are gone. If they have, we will return you to your father."

"Thank you."

She held on to Tall Wolf as he galloped hard back to their village, glad that the hunting party had found her.

Ben had gotten tired of sitting around the house. He wanted to be out looking for Karen but he knew that the best thing to do right now was to let the Shoshone handle the renegades. They would take care of it and protect Karen if they found her. He had no doubts about his friends. Some people thought he was crazy to trust them the way he did but it had served him well over the years.

Little Joe, Hoss and Adam were just as frustrated as Ben was. She'd been gone a whole week and so far, no luck. The Shoshone had not brought her back to them.

But maybe they hadn't found her yet. Maybe the guys that had her had moved even further out away from them. No one knew.

Four days after Tall Wolf had rescued Karen from the men who had abducted her, the brave rode into the Cartwright's yard with a young woman on the back of his horse.

"Hello, Tall Wolf. It is good to see you," Ben greeted the young brave who turned to assist the passenger from the back of his horse.

Once her feet were solidly on the ground, the young woman looked up at Ben with a big smile on her face. "Pa!" She ran to him and wrapped her arms around him hugging him hard.

"Karen? Karen! Oh, Karen!" He realized who it was and wrapped his arms around her in response. "Oh, sweetheart. Thank God you're back! Your brothers are going to be so happy to see you too."

"Pa?" asked Hoss, stepping out on the porch. "What's going on?" He saw Tall Wolf watching the reunion on the porch. "Hello, Tall Wolf."

"Hello, Hoss Cartwright. It is good to see you and your family. I have fulfilled my promise to your father. Your sister is safely returned to your home."

Just then, Hoss realized that it was Karen in Ben's arms. "Karen!" He ran inside the house, bellowing for Little Joe and Adam.

When he came back out, his two brothers and Hop Sing were with him and Karen took the time to hug each one of them.

She was so happy to be home. When she finished hugging everyone, she walked back to Tall Wolf and hugged him. "Thank you for finding me and for bringing me home, Tall Wolf."

"Yes, thank you, Tall Wolf. We owe you a great debt for protecting Karen and bringing her home to us."

"It was my honor, Ben Cartwright. You have always proven to be a friend to the Shoshone and we will be a friend to you." With that, Tall Wolf grabbed his horse's mane and swung up to sit his horse. He waved and then rode away from the ranch house.

Karen was completely satisfied with staying close to home now. She wasn't about to go riding all over the Ponderosa without at least one other person with her. Usually, it was Adam that made time for Karen's little rides. He understood that she couldn't stand to be cooped up. The two of them shared a common bond that way. Even when they were sick, neither one liked being cooped up indoors.

Adam didn't mind taking time out for Karen. He looked at it as, it was his duty to make time for his little sister. She needed him and he actually found himself enjoying the feeling.

He knew that Karen would eventually look for a young man of her own age group to spend time with. He knew that eventually Karen would choose to get married and move away from the Ponderosa. Granted, he also knew that that would break their father's heart but that was part of life and he knew that his father would come to accept it.

One day, about two months after Tall Wolf brought Karen home, the Barkley clan had come to visit again.

"Heath, would you like to go riding with me?" Karen asked. Adam was pleased to see Karen ask Heath.

Heath accepted and the two of them rode off together.

Karen and Heath rode along a trail that went close to Karen's parents graves. At the grave-site, she dismounted and placed a small bouquet of flowers on her mother's grave.

"Is that your mother's grave, Karen?" Heath asked gently.

Karen nodded and gestured for him to come over next to her. Heath obliged the young woman.

"This is where I like to come sometimes when I feel alone. I always feel both of them here. One of the older ranch hands, who was just a teenager when it happened, told me that their wagon had been destroyed very close to here and that's why they buried them here. They carried Jenny Leigh out here after she died giving birth to me. Apparently, your mother helped with my birth."

"I remember. My older brother, Jarrod, did the paperwork for Ben to adopt you. It was your mother's dying request. That Ben adopt you."

"I'm so glad he did. He's been an amazing father to me. He and the boys have taught me so much that I would probably never have learned if not for them."

"Ben has always been one for learning. He was my brother's inspiration to get his law degree. Him and Adam."

"Adam went to college?"

"Didn't you know that?" When Karen shook her head, Heath continued. "Adam has a degree in architecture. He designed the ranch house."

"He did? I never knew that."

"A lot of people don't because Adam doesn't brag about it and he prefers it if Ben doesn't tell everyone about that. He's very modest, your brother. I think that's one of the things that I really like about him. That and the fact that he tries not to let his anger get the better of him."

"So very true. Adam is the calmest of my three brothers. Little Joe is a hot head. The others say that's because of his Creole mother but I don't know. And Hoss, he can stay calm for a long time but once he gets mad, he's likely to stay that way for a long time."

"Jarrod's a lot like Adam. But he has a bit quicker temper. Nick is the equal to Little Joe. Very hot headed. Myself, well I'm kind of a mix of the two. I can get mad and have many times. But it takes a little more than it does with Nick."

"What about Audra?"

"Audra. Well, she's – she's Audra. She's not as ladylike as Mother would prefer but she's my sister and I would do anything for her. I think she's an incredible lady and any man who can catch her is getting a prime catch." Heath reached out and brushed some hair back from Karen's face. "Rather like you. Any man who can catch you, and get past your Pa and brothers, is getting a prime catch. You're a beautiful girl, Karen."

Karen blushed. No man, outside of her family, had ever told her that she was beautiful. She didn't know what to make of it. "Thank you, Heath."

"I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true, Karen. Don't you go thinking I'm trying to butter you up. I wouldn't do that. It's not who I am."

"Still, thank you. My brothers and Pa call me beautiful but you're the first man outside my family that has ever said that to me."

"Well, you are beautiful. How old are you now?"

"I just turned fifteen about a month ago."

"Nearly a woman." Heath's voice had taken on a softer tone. As if he was trying to gentle a skittish filly. "Karen, have you ever been kissed?"

She looked down at her lap. "No. I haven't"

"May I be the first?" Karen wasn't feeling really brave just then and just nodded. Heath leaned in and cupped her cheek before bringing his lips to hers in a very gentle and chaste kiss. He sat back and breathed deeply. "Thank you for that, Karen. I feel very honored that you gave me the honor of your first real kiss."

"Thank you for wanting to be the one to give me my first real kiss, Heath," Karen said bashfully. She had never felt this way before. Her pulse was racing and her skin felt hot. She didn't know what was wrong and she was afraid to say anything to Heath because she didn't want to ruin this moment.

"I think we might want to think about heading back soon. It's getting a little late. I wouldn't want your Pa to worry about you." Heath climbed to his feet and held out his hands to help Karen up.

The two walked over to their horses where, before Karen could take up Tamarind's reigns, she noticed a foot sticking out of the brush. "Heath? I think there's someone in those bushes over there," she called before walking toward where she'd seen the foot.

"Karen? Karen, don't. Let me check it out. I promise I won't hide anything from you. Just let me check it out."

Heath walked past her and she followed once he was a few steps ahead of her. "Oh!" he exclaimed. "That poor woman!"

Karen ran up beside him and saw Annabelle laying there, her throat had been slit and she had been scalped. Her clothing was also torn. Karen gasped and stepped back before turning to run.

Heath caught up to her as she reached Tamarind. "Did you know her, Karen?"

"That was the woman that took me from the school. Annabelle Dastrovsky. They killed her! Oh, Heath! They killed her!" She turned into his arms and collapsed against him sobbing. She'd never seen anyone that had been killed like that before. "I want to go home now, Heath. Please. I need to go home."

When she looked up at him with those tear-filled eyes and begged him to take her home, he decided that he had to do exactly as she asked. "Karen, I'm going to take you home. I promise. I'm going to put you on my horse and I'm going to ride right behind you. I'll hold Tamarind's reigns and lead him back. I want to keep you close, protected. Okay?"

She just nodded and bowed her head to rest against Heath's chest for a moment before fighting to get herself under control. It only took her a moment to do it and Heath couldn't have been prouder of her. He led her over to his horse and helped her to mount the horse. After that, he climbed up and settled in behind her.

"Tamarind," she called. The horse walked over to them and Heath picked up the reigns, handing them to Karen.

"He knows you. You lead him. I want you with me just in case you break down again. Not that I would blame you. That was a disturbing sight." Heath didn't want to admit it to Karen but that sight would most likely haunt his nightmares for months to come.

He turned the horses back toward the ranch and started off. He knew that he had to get Karen back within the safe walls of the Ponderosa and get someone to come and help him get the lady out of the bushes before the wild animals savaged her. He could tell by looking at her that she hadn't been dead long.

Trotting back into the yard in front of the ranch house, Heath pulled the horse to a stop. Adam ran over, having seen his little sister wasn't on her own horse but in Heath's arms. "What happened?"

"Adam?" Karen asked sleepily from where she'd fallen asleep in the youngest Barkley's arms.

"I'm here, Karen."

"Adam, before she tells you what happened, will you take her inside? Hoss, I need your help with something," Heath immediately started in, wanting to get some help to get the woman from where she had been dumped quickly.

"Hand her here, Heath," Adam said, somehow getting the picture that Heath wanted him to stay close to Karen. He also had a sudden feeling that there were some feelings between Heath and his little sister. "Hoss, you go with Heath. I'll take care of Karen and let Pa know where the two of you went."

Heath followed instructions as Hoss went to get his horse. Karen slid gently down from the saddle into Adam's arms. Adam held his sister close to him for a moment before letting her go. She looked back up at Heath. "Heath?"

"Yes, Karen?"

"Be careful. Please."

"I promise. I'll talk to you later." Heath reached out one hand and touched Karen's cheek gently. "Stay close to the house, Karen. Please."

"I will. I promise." Heath and Hoss rode out of the gate with four of the ranch hands with them just in case of trouble.

"Let's go inside, Karen. It's getting cool out here. And I would like to know why you weren't riding Tamarind when the two of you came back."

"I'll tell you. After that, can I have Hop Sing make me some of his special calming tea?"

"I think that can be arranged." Adam draped an arm around his sister and led her inside.

Ben stood in the living room listening to his daughter tell the story of finding Annabelle Dastrovsky's body and what it looked like. Before she had even gotten started, Adam had asked Hop Sing to make his calming tea for Karen. And now Ben knew why.

His daughter was sitting on the couch with tears streaming down her face which was as pale as could be.

Ben knew that the sight which she had seen would haunt her sleep for a long time to come.

When she finished talking, Ben turned to Victoria and Audra Barkley who were sitting on another couch. "Victoria. Audra," he began.

Victoria stood up, knowing exactly what Ben wanted to ask her to do. "Audra, let's take Karen upstairs and help her get ready for bed."

"I don't know if I can sleep tonight, Ms. Victoria."

"You will sleep, dear. Audra can stay with you in your room. It can be like a sleep over." Victoria was trying to distract Karen and it wasn't working.

"Have Hoss and Heath come back yet, Pa?" she asked as Audra and Adam gently helped her stand up.

"I haven't seen them yet. But I'm sure they'll be back before you wake up in the morning."

"I hope so," she said, looking very dejected and worn out. She allowed Audra and Victoria to lead her up the stairs to her room where they helped her change into her nightgown and climb into bed. Audra went and got her nightgown and brought it back to the room where she could change and stay with Karen for the night.

An hour later saw Hoss and Heath along with the ranch hands that had accompanied them riding back into the yard. All of them took care to see their horses bedded down properly after taking care of them. Hoss and Heath headed into the ranch house. Ben was waiting in the living room with Victoria.

"Hoss, was it her?" Ben asked. "Was it really her?"

"It was, Pa. She's out of our lives for good. It looked like the renegades got her. At first glance, it didn't look like she'd been dead long but we discovered signs that she'd been dead quite a while. We buried her and cleaned up the area so that the wild animals wouldn't try to dig her up." When Ben looked as though he wanted to ask something, Hoss spoke again. "We moved her far away from Karen's parents' graves. We didn't want to ruin the place for Karen."

"Thank you." Ben turned to Heath. "Now, Heath, I hear that there's a possibility that you harbor some very gentle feelings for my daughter." Ben crossed his arms across his chest and looked squarely at the youngest Barkley.

"Mr. Cartwright, I would like to ask your permission to stay in contact with Karen. She is a beautiful young woman and I would like to get to know her better. I would like to write to her. Maybe visit with her sometimes. And eventually, if she seems interested, court her."

"I need some time to think about this. I'll give you my answer before you leave here with your mother and family."

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate the chance to plead my case."

"Now, I think everyone needs to get some sleep. It's been a very long day."**


	7. Chapter 7

Heath had spent the night thinking about how he was going to stay in touch with Karen over such a distance. It would be difficult but possible. He knew that there was a telegraph office in Virginia City and they had one in Stockton as well.

That would be the easy part. But the hard part would be getting to see her. Especially after she went back to school. That would be far too great a distance to travel very often. At least 5 days each way on the train. But she came back each summer to spend it with her family at the Ponderosa. That would be a good time to visit.

Suddenly, a scream rang throughout the house. Heath leaped out of bed and ran towards Karen's room, the thought of someone hurting her forcing his heart into his throat. He opened the door and noticed Karen sitting up in the bed still screaming. Audra had gotten out of bed and was standing over by the window.

Heath moved to the bed and sat down next to Karen. She threw herself into his arms and wrapped her own around him. Her tears soaked through the shirt he had thrown on as he ran down the hall quicker than he thought possible. He rubbed her back a little and just held her close.

"Heath! Heath, she – she – she"

"Ssshhhh. It's okay. She's gone and I'm here. You're safe in your own room at the Ponderosa. No one can hurt you here. They'd have to get past your Pa, your three brothers and all of us Barkleys before they could get to you. You are as safe here as you would be at Fort Knox. It's okay." He glanced to the door to find Hoss, Little Joe, Adam, Jarrod, Ben, Hop Sing, Nick and his mother standing there.

Heath looked at Audra. He wasn't sure if what he was doing was appropriate but he also wasn't sure if he really cared. It felt right to have Karen in his arms, to be the one comforting her from the nightmare that he had known would disturb her sleep this night.

Ben didn't look too happy to find Heath in his daughter's room but given that the young man was dressed only minus shoes and socks and his daughter was still under the covers with Audra still in the room he really didn't feel like he could say much. It was obvious that Heath was only trying to comfort Karen.

Everyone had known that Karen wouldn't sleep well tonight after what she saw while out riding with Heath. Audra sat down on the bed on the other side of Karen. "I'm sorry I got up, Karen. I should have stayed in bed beside you." Audra looked up at the others. "I thought I heard the wind picking up and decided to have a look. See if a storm was brewing or not."

Karen sat up. Heath handed her a handkerchief that he had with him. She wiped her eyes and then blew her nose. "Audra, it's not your fault. I should have listened when Heath tried to stop me from seeing her. He told me to stay back and let him check things out. I didn't listen." She turned toward the door. "I'm sorry, Pa. I should have listened to him. I should have listened to you, Heath." Her tears started again and she put the handkerchief up under her nose to stop it from dripping all over the place.

"Karen," Ben said stepping into the room. "I don't want you thinking you did anything wrong. You did something impulsive. That's normal for a girl your age. I'm sure Audra did her share of impulsive things when she was your age."

"She still does," Jarrod said. Audra shot her brother a look that promised retribution when he least expected it.

"He's right. I do. Not that he needed to say it." Audra wrapped her arms around the young woman and pulled her in close. "Heath's right, Karen. You are safe. Right here in your own home in your own bed. Your pa and brothers are close by and so are we. No one can get close to you here unless that's what you want."

"I wish I had never seen that. I wish there was a way to unsee something like that." Karen sniffled again. "I know I can't but I sure do wish I could."

Ben stepped closer and Heath moved to allow the man to be the one to comfort his daughter, as it should be. "Thank you, Heath." Ben sat down on the bed and reached for his daughter. She went willingly into his arms and leaned into his embrace. "It's okay, Karen. It's going to be okay." Ben stroked his daughter's hair and held her close.

"Pa, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to wake everyone like that."

"I think we can all forgive you. You got scared and you simply reacted. There's nothing wrong with that. It's completely natural." Ben wanted his daughter to relax on her own terms and he wasn't sure if he could actually help her.

Suddenly, he felt Karen start yawning and he smiled. Little Joe, Hoss, and Adam walked into the room and each one kissed Karen's forehead and wished her a good night with only pleasant dreams for the remainder of it.

Victoria walked to the bed. "Pleasant dreams, Karen. Sleep well and know that you are safe." She kissed the young woman on the forehead like her brothers had and left the room.

Heath's brothers simply walked away as Hop Sing had when he realized that Karen was okay and not hurt.

Ben helped Karen to lay back down and kissed her forehead before heading out the door. "Sleep well, Karen. I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night, Pa. Thank you."

Heath stepped up to the bed. He was certain that Karen would sleep better now with all the good wishes for a peaceful night's sleep.

Leaning over, he kissed her forehead and gently caressed her cheek. "Sleep well, pretty girl. I'll see you in the morning. And don't forget, I'm just down the hall if you need me."

Karen's voice was getting drowsier and drowsier. "Thank you, Heath. Thank you for coming to check on me."

"My pleasure."

Heath left the room and Audra climbed back into the bed and curled up to Karen. "I'm right here with you, Karen. I'm not going to run away from you just because you got scared."

"Thank you, Audra." Karen's voice trailed off into silence as she finally drifted off into a sound sleep.

The next morning found a rather subdued Karen sitting at the breakfast table. She still seemed rather shaken by what she'd seen the day before.

"Ms. Victoria?" she asked of the woman seated next to her pa.

"Yes, Karen?"

"May I talk to you a little later? After breakfast?"

Victoria Barkley immediately got the feeling that this young woman was going to confide something to her that she had never even told her father and brothers. She nodded with a gentle smile. "Of course, dear. We'll go into your father's study to have our talk. If that's alright with you, Ben?"

Apparently, Ben had gotten the same feeling because he nodded. "That would be fine. I was planning on taking the boys out for a little bit of a tour of the ranch. And my boys have their chores to do. Audra, would you care to join us?"

"Actually, Pa, I'd like for Audra to be there when I talk to her mother." She looked down for a moment. "If that's alright?"

Ben had a sinking feeling about what she was going to tell Victoria. He nodded. "Of course, dear. That's fine." In his mind, he decided to ask Victoria to explain Karen's problem to him later. Even though he wasn't sure he really wanted to know.

Heath was quiet for the rest of breakfast.

After the meal, the three women adjourned to Ben's study for their talk. Ben gathered the three Barkley boys and headed out for their tour of the ranch. Hoss, Adam, and Little Joe headed out to do their chores.

Once the study door closed behind them, Victoria took a seat behind Ben's desk and looked at the young woman who had taken a seat in front of it. Audra took the other seat and waited patiently.

"Karen, you can tell us what you wished to talk about. Your father isn't here and I will only tell him if it is something that he truly needs to know."

"I think I know what Pa was thinking I wanted to talk to you about." Karen looked at Victoria. "The men that took me the second time did not assault me. They hinted that they would." Both Victoria and Audra noticed the tears building in her eyes.

Audra spoke gently. "Karen, tell us what they did do. We can help you."

"They had me blindfolded and tied to a bed. My hands at the head and my feet to the foot. They kept petting my legs, going further up under my skirt until they reached my knee. I had to brace myself so they wouldn't see me shudder. I was terrified that they would go further and find the knife at my thigh. They probably would have assaulted me if they had found that. And then killed me." Karen's head dropped and her shoulders began shaking with her sobs.

"Karen," Audra whispered standing and moving to her side. She took Karen's hand and pulled her to her feet, wrapping her in arms that promised shelter and sympathy. "I can understand why you were so scared. Just the thought of it alone is enough to make me have nightmares."

Victoria got up and walked around the desk. "I understand why you didn't want to tell your father, dear. But you need to let him and your brothers know what happened. That way they understand when you have your bad days. And you should tell Heath as well. Especially if you plan to start a relationship with him. He will need to know about it so that he knows what you're thinking of on your bad days."

"I don't even know if Heath would want me when he finds out what happened," Karen cried. "I feel so dirty. So violated. Even though they didn't, it feels like they did."

"You poor girl. To carry this around with you for so long on your own and not tell anyone, that is a sign of an inner strength that will see you through many difficult times." Victoria patted Karen's back as she cried in Audra's arms.

"Karen, Heath won't turn his back on you just because of this. Especially not when he realizes how strong you were for how long, trying to deal with it on your own. Give him a chance, Karen. He really does care about you. I know he won't let you down." Audra wasn't above pleading her brother's case. Heath was a good man and he would be good for Karen just as she would be good for him.

"Karen, can I help you to tell your family about this? Would it help?"

"Would you, Ms. Victoria? I have no idea how to tell them without breaking down," Karen said, tears still running down her face. "I don't even know if I can tell them while looking them in the eye."

"My dear girl, you are a Cartwright. Maybe not by blood, but in your heart and mind, you are a Cartwright. And the strength of a Cartwright is evident in the way you were trying to deal with this by yourself. That is something that Ben would have done. Or any one of the boys." Victoria smiled at the young woman. "I will be more than happy to be present when you tell your family about what truly happened. It will be a trial. But I believe that with their help you can get through this."

"Thank you, Ms. Victoria. Thank you so much." She looked up at Audra. "I would like you and your brothers there as well. Might as well tell everyone at one time." She took a deep breath. "You're right, Ms. Victoria. I am a Cartwright. A Cartwright in mind and heart. I will make it through this and then figure out how to deal with the consequences."

"Good girl." Victoria was very proud of the girl for making the decision to tell her family and the family that might become part of hers. It would not be an easy thing to do and it would hurt. But she knew that Karen would make through this and come out the other side much stronger.

When Ben and the Barkley boys came back from their tour of the ranch, the women had just come out of the study after making their plans to reveal Karen's 'problem' after dinner that night. Karen had agreed that it would be better to get it done quickly before she lost the courage to do it.

That evening, just as dinner was winding up, Karen got everyone's attention by standing up. "I know that everyone is curious about what I felt a need to talk to Ms. Victoria about this morning. I will tell all of you as soon as we have all finished eating. So, if everyone, Barkleys included, will just stay at the table after the meal is finished, I would appreciate it."

"Of course, Karen. We'll listen to what you have to tell us. And we'll let you tell it all before any of us ask any questions." Ben's words were a comfort to his daughter. But she wasn't sure if it would help once she got started on telling them the story she was about to tell.

When they were all finished, everyone remained at the table. Karen stood up and took a deep breath. "I know that when I asked to speak to Ms. Victoria and Audra this morning, some of you feared the worst about what had happened when I was taken the second time. I will tell you that did not happen. But I am about to tell you what did. Please let me tell the whole story before you say anything." She started telling the story about how the men had knocked her out and being tied up on the bed. Her fears, the actions of her kidnappers, the words they'd said in her presence, everything was laid on the table. The only thing she didn't tell them was her fear that they would want nothing more to do with her after this. She had decided not to guilt anyone into deciding to keep her around. They had to reach the decision on their own.

The silence at the table when she finished up her story was deafening. She just couldn't handle it. She ran from the table with a sob.

"Ben," Victoria said gently. "She was afraid to tell you this because she thought that no one would want her around anymore. She thought you would hate her and think she was ruined. Can you imagine what your silence just said to her?"

"Victoria, how could she think that we wouldn't want her?"

"Did you tell her otherwise?"

Ben thought for a moment. "Hoss, Little Joe, Adam, we need to find your sister. Quickly."

Meanwhile, no one noticed as Heath slipped out the door and went after his horse. He felt that he was just as much to blame as anyone was. He hadn't said anything either.

The fact that he was thinking about trying to find the bastards that had left the girl he loved so scarred was no consolation.


	8. Chapter 8

Karen pulled Tamarind up beside her parents' graves. She had made a decision that she hadn't even told Victoria about. If she thought they didn't want her around, she would remove herself from the family with all due haste. She didn't want to be where she wasn't wanted.

The tears falling from her eyes made it difficult to see the grave stones. She swatted Tamarind on the hindquarters, sending him back to the stable. She knew that what she was about to do would frighten him so she sent him away.

As she moved between the stones, she stumbled more than once. She even fell at one point, hitting her head against her mother's stone. She lay on her mother's grave unconscious, the pistol she had taken from Ben's study laying on the ground beside her.

* * *

Ben had watched his daughter run from the table and out the door. He was so stunned that he didn't know what to say. He got up and went into his study.

He noticed that one of the drawers on his desk was slightly opened. He pulled it open further. The gun that usually sat in that drawer was gone! Who would have taken it? Who had known it was there?

Everyone knew. At least everyone that lived in the house. So who would have taken it?

A sudden thought went through his mind that maybe Karen had taken the pistol that normally sat in that drawer. The news she had imparted to the family just moments earlier could trigger a serious depression.

Could it cause a depression serious enough to make her consider taking her own life? He sat down at the desk and buried his head in his hands. He sincerely hoped not.

He stood up and all but ran out of the study and onto the front porch. He arrived out there just in time to see Heath riding off as if going out to look for Karen. _'God bless and God speed, Heath. Please bring my daughter home safely.'_

* * *

Running into the stable, Heath noticed that Tamarind was gone. He grabbed the bridle for his horse and saddled him quickly. He swung up into the saddle and started out toward the Taverson's graves. He had a feeling that he knew what Karen was thinking and he knew he had to move fast.

Pulling his own horse up next to the graves, he noticed Karen's very still form laying across her mother's grave. _'Please, God. If I have ever done anything right, don't let me be too late. Let her be alive so that I can tell her what I was thinking. Let me be able to apologize to her. Please don't take her now. I only just found her.'_

He leaped off of his horse and walked toward the form on the ground. He saw the shadow of the pistol laying on the ground next to her. He stared at it hard for a few moments, thinking about how easy it would be to follow her if she were gone.

 _'I can't go back to that person. I have a family that cares and now I know that they never knew about me. But we're a family now and they need me. I can't go back to being that person again.'_ He grabbed it and stuffed it into the back of his belt.

Then, he knelt beside Karen as the rain started. He rolled her up into his arms and noticed the bump on her head and the small trickle of blood that was oozing from the cut on her forehead.

He brushed the hair back from her face and touch her neck, trying to feel her pulse. When he found it he breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, he had a dilemma. He had no clue how he was going to get her onto his horse with him without help. Just then, Nick rode up.

"You found her!" he yelled as he moved over to his brother's side.

"I need your help, Nick. I want you to hold her while I get on my horse and then hand her up to me."

"What happened to her?"

"I think she fell and hit her head. She was laying across her mother's grave when I pulled up here." Heath managed to get to his feet and walked over to where Nick had moved to stand beside both horses. He handed his lady off to his brother for the moment it would take to get on his horse. But first he pulled the pistol from his waistband and tucked it into his saddlebag.

"Where did that come from?"

"It was laying next to her on the ground when I pulled up here. I decided it had better come back with me."

"Good thinking."

Heath climbed back into his saddle and waited for his brother to hand Karen to him. Once she was safely nestled in his arms, Heath kissed her forehead. "Hold on, Karen. I'll get you home."

He looked up to see Nick already in his saddle and the two of them rode back toward the ranch house. The horses were moving quickly but not quite at a gallop. The rain started getting heavier. It wasn't long before the two men couldn't even see. They just kept moving as best they could.

It was no use. The rain wasn't letting up.

Nick pointed to a cabin just beside the trail they were on. Heath nodded and the two moved to the cabin. It was deserted and Nick dismounted tying his horse to the hitching post nearby.

Then he moved to his brother's side and helped him by taking Karen from him and carrying her inside the cabin to get her out of the rain. Heath tied his horse to a hitching post on the other side of Nick's and walked into the cabin.

Nick already had Karen laying on a bed in the middle of the single room cabin. Thankfully it looked clean enough inside and the bed actually had blankets and sheets on it as well as two pillows. Nick had pulled the covers up over Karen who was shivering and he had turned to start a fire in the fireplace across the room.

Heath whispered a prayer of thanks that Karen was alive and Nick had found him. Without his brother's help, he would have had a hard time getting Karen on his horse with him in order to get her out of there.

Now at least the three of them had shelter for the night. They could find their way back in the morning, when the rain let up.

"I think we each ought to lay down to either side of Karen. In case she needs something," Nick suggested.

"I think that sounds like a good idea. That way we're both close enough to help her if she needs it." Nick took the floor on one side of Karen's bed and Heath lay down on the other. Both were certain they wouldn't sleep much because of checking on Karen throughout the night to make sure she was still okay.

The night dragged by for the two Barkley men as they maintained their vigil over the young woman in their care. Nick didn't think his brother had slept a wink all night. But then again, neither had he. Both were worried about the young woman on the bed. Worried about what her father was going through just then. Worried about whether or not she would make it through the night.

* * *

When the sun rose the next morning, the rain had stopped and the ground was drying out.

Both Nick and Heath were glad to see the sun. They knew they would be able to find their way back to the ranch house in the sunlight. They quickly got ready and Nick carried Karen out to set her in front of Heath on his horse.

Once Nick had mounted his horse, the two started off in the direction they believed the Ponderosa's ranch house to be in.

Just two hours riding later, the men saw the ranch house just ahead of them. Karen was still out cold. As the two men rode into the front yard, Ben, Adam, Hoss and Little Joe stepped out onto the porch. Ben stared in shock at the sight of Karen in Heath's arms, unconscious. Little Joe bolted for the barn and grabbed his horse to ride for the doctor.

Adam stepped forward to the side of Heath's horse. "Heath, will you hand her down to me? I'll be glad to carry her in while you take care of your horse."

Heath nodded and handed her down gently to her older brother. Adam immediately turned to the house and started inside.

Heath and Nick watched as Adam stopped in front of his father. Ben reached out a hand and ever so gently touched his daughter's face. The tears that filled his eyes didn't fall though. The two young men knew that the tears would fall when Karen was out of danger.

Both of the brothers went to the barn to take care of their horses and then they would go into the ranch house and attempt to get some sleep.

While taking the saddle off of his horse, Heath pulled the pistol out and looked at it. He knew that it was Ben Cartwright's pistol and he knew what Karen had been thinking to do with that very pistol. It terrified him to think of her taking herself out of the world.

"How do I tell the man that his daughter had this with her out there?"

"You tell him honestly, Heath," came his mother's voice from the doorway.

"And break his heart even more?"

"He would rather have you be honest with him than lie to him. Besides, hearing it will only remind him of the fact that he needs to remember to tell her on a regular basis that he loves her no matter what. It will tell him that he needs to make sure that what she told him last night never comes between them. That he needs to make sure that she knows that what those men did is no reflection on her. It was their sin, not hers. All of them need to remember that."

"So do we, Mother. Because none of us said one word to her after she finished last night. I was just as guilty of it as anyone. The only two who had a reason not to speak were you and Audra. She'd already told you. The rest of us should have spoken up and tried to convince her that we didn't see her as the wrongdoer in this case but the wronged person." Heath's voice conveyed to his mother his regret that he hadn't spoken up to make sure that the woman he cared for so deeply knew that he didn't hold her responsible for what had been done to her.

"Heath's right, Mother. We were all guilty of making her feel like we thought this was all her fault. But I can honestly say that I was stunned when she told us how she felt. To think, she had held this in for so long and tried so hard to deal with it on her own. She is a Cartwright in every way that matters. Not just legally. But in her heart and mind. She is just as much a Cartwright as Ben and those three boys." Nick's voice was also regretful.

"But, Ben needs to know the truth of what his shock, and his sons', nearly cost all of them last night. You two already see it. But he needs to know as well."

With that, Victoria Barkley turned and headed back to the house.

"She's right, Nick. I have to tell Ben the truth. As much as I hate to be the one to break it to him, I was the one that found the gun next to her. I was the one last night that figured out where she was going when she bolted out of there. I was the one that found her laying on that grave as if she were dead as well." Heath turned to his brother. "I swear to you, Nick. My heart nearly stopped beating when I saw her laying there not moving. I prayed harder than I'd ever prayed before. I was terrified to roll her over and see that I was too late. Seeing that she was just unconscious, I said a quick prayer of thanks that I had found her in time."

The two finished taking care of their horses and started for the house just in time to see the doctor leaving from checking over Karen. They walked over to the house and looked up at Ben, once the doctor had ridden off.

"Thank you, Heath. Nick. I appreciate you bringing my daughter home to me alive."

"How is she, Mr. Cartwright?" Nick asked.

"Still unconscious. The doctor says that she will wake up on her own. It will just be a matter of time. Where did you find her?"

"Just where I thought she was, sir. At her parents' graves. With this," Heath said, holding out the pistol to Ben.

"No! I noticed this missing last night! But I never thought my daughter would –." He couldn't bring himself to say the words.

"Say it, Pa," came Adam's voice as he stepped out the door. "Karen wanted to kill herself because of our reaction to what she told us last night. And she might have if she somehow hadn't fallen and hit her head on one of the gravestones. If we hadn't been so stunned by what she told us, we would have spoken up and made sure that she knew we didn't blame her for what they did and we didn't think any less of her for it."

"I just can't believe she hid it so well from all of us for all that time." Ben was truly shocked. He was also very proud of his daughter for trying to deal with it on her own. But also disappointed in himself that he could have left that much room for doubt in her mind.

"She was trying to be strong."

"She _is_ strong. How could I believe otherwise? She managed to keep her feelings hidden from us almost completely for so long. And didn't let herself slip even once. If she hadn't before, she has more than proved herself a Cartwright." Ben's words were strong even though his eyes betrayed his pain.

"Pa, how do we make up for this? How do we fix this?"

"I don't know, Adam. I just don't know. But we can start by making sure that she knows we don't think any less of her for what they did. She needs us to be her family and we won't abandon her."

"Mr. Cartwright, may I go in and see her?"

"She's in her room, Heath. The doctor did say that it couldn't hurt to have people take turns sitting with her and talking to her. In fact, he thinks it could help."

Heath nodded. "Thank you, sir. I appreciate that."

Heath took off into the house and up the stairs where he found his mother and Audra sitting with Karen. They had changed her out of the dirty dress she'd been in and into her nightgown and washed her face.

"Mother, I would like to sit with Karen for a little while. If that's alright with you."

"Of course, Heath. Audra, come with me. Give your brother some time with Karen." The two women walked out of the room and down the hall.

Once he was sure that he was alone with her, Heath took Karen's hand. He still could feel the chill in as he had that night in the cabin trying to bring her home. "Karen, I wasn't trying to make you feel bad. I was so stunned by how you felt and the fact that you had been strong enough to hide that for so many months, bearing it by yourself. I was so proud of you for opening up and telling all of us about what had happened to you. I know that I don't deserve a woman like you. But I can't help how I feel about you. I want you in my life. I need you there." He bowed his head. "Please don't leave me. I love you."

"Heath?" Her voice may have been weak but he heard it as clear as if she had spoke at a normal volume. His head jerked up.

"Karen!" he whispered when he saw her green eyes open and focused on him.

"How did you find me? Where am I?"

"You're safe in your own room. Karen, I need to tell you. I wasn't upset at you the other night. I was furious with the men who made you feel that way. I wanted to hunt them down and string them up. Everyone else felt the same."

"They all thought I was spoiled. Ruined. I'm no good now."

"No, sweetheart. They were in awe of the strength you showed in hiding how you felt for so long. Honey, when you opened up and told them what had really happened, they felt the same way I did. They wanted to destroy those two men and make them feel every bit of what you went through. And if we had lost you through our own shock and stupidity that night, we would have felt that even more so."

"Pa's pistol!" She sat bolt upright when she remembered that she had taken it from Ben's study the night before.

"Is back where it belongs. In your father's study."

"You found it?"

"You dropped it. It was laying beside you on the ground when I found you. I just decided to bring it back to it's rightful owner."

"How did you know it was his?"

"I'd seen it in there before. I thought it would be a good idea to make sure it got back to where it belonged." He took a deep breath. "I'm going to tell you something, Karen. You scared me out of my mind last night. When I found you laying on your mother's grave, not moving, my mind went to a place I never thought it could go again. And seeing your pa's gun laying there next to you just solidified the thoughts that were running through my head at the time. I'm begging you, Karen. Please don't ever scare me like that again. I don't think my heart could take it." He looked straight into her eyes. "Karen, I've asked your father for permission to stay in touch with you. I have grown to love you in a very short time. It scares me and I don't do scared well. But please don't shut me out. When you feel like this let me in. Let me help you when and where I can. If I can't, I promise I will at least be there as a shoulder to lean on. Someone to remind you of how strong you really are. Because in my eyes you truly are a Cartwright. Taverson may be the blood in your veins but Cartwright is the heart of who you are."

"Do you really want to stay in touch with me when you go back home?" There was a hope in Karen's eyes that told Heath that sharing his feelings with her had been the right thing to do. She sat up in the bed.

"I do. I think you are a beautiful and sensitive woman who will only become more so as she ages further. You are a woman who would be a prize catch to any man willing to put forth the effort to win you. I am willing to try."

"Are you really? Do you mean it, Heath?"

"Every last word. You have made my life more bearable the past few days. I figured I'd be more than a little bored here while we visited your family. I didn't expect you to be here. And I certainly didn't expect that you'd grown into such a beautiful woman. I was ready to follow you last night if you hadn't been alive when I found you."

"You would have killed yourself?" He nodded. "Why? You have so much to live for!"

"Because I couldn't imagine living in a world that didn't have you in it. Like I said, I came here expecting to be very bored. But my family makes a trip to see yours once a year. And then your family comes to see mine once a year as well."

"But surely there are girls in Stockton?"

"None like you. Most of them are either debutantes who are just looking for a rich husband to make Mommy and Daddy happy or they're hard working farm girls who are needed right where they are and not with a husband to keep them pregnant which slows them down."

"I'm not that special, Heath. Really, I'm not."

"I would beg to differ, Miss Cartwright. You are one very special lady. You have an amazing place with your family. My family likes you too. My mother loves you. Your family and my family get along. And to be honest and truthful with you, I am quite happy to be a friend until _**YOU**_ are ready to take it further than that. I would leave that decision in your very capable and lovely hands."

"Heath, I don't know what you see in me. I don't feel as special as you claim I am. Last night, I felt about worthless after I told everyone how I felt. Your mother and sister already knew but after telling everyone else and hearing only silence, it made me wonder why I had bothered telling them."

"I can tell you this, Karen. I feel guilty as hell that I didn't speak up last night. After you walked out of the house, chaos broke out. I had watched you head out the front door and so I followed. But by the time I reached the barn, you'd already gone. I thought I knew where you were heading and saddled my horse to follow you. I couldn't let you do what I thought you were getting ready to do. When I got there and found you unconscious, as I said before, my heart just stopped. And when I saw the gun laying on the ground, I was ready to use it on myself if you had already used on you. When I rolled you up into my arms and you were still breathing, I thanked God above for leaving you here with me. But then I was worried about how to get you on my horse by myself. Thankfully, Nick showed up and held you while I got on my horse and then he handed you up to me. He helped me with you all the way. We worked together to get you inside when the rain got too heavy to continue back here to the house. We found a small cabin. It had a bed that had sheets and blankets and two nice pillows on it. We tucked you into that and we camped out on the floor. The next morning, this morning, we got up to find the rain had stopped and we got moving to get you home." He looked straight at Karen. "And before you ask, the minute we got here, your brothers and your father were on the porch before we even came to a full stop. Adam had me hand you down to him and he carried you inside so that I would have a chance to take care of my horse. The look on his face said it all. He was glad I had found you and brought you home alive. As Adam carried you inside, your father stopped him and touched your cheek. He looked as though he was afraid that you were already gone. Little Joe. Well, he didn't even stop to see what we could tell him. I hadn't even gotten off my horse yet and he was flying out the gate on his horse to go after the doctor. Hoss stood there looking like he was going to cry."

"Heath, do you really think they were quiet only because they didn't know what to say?"

"I believe it with all my heart. Karen, your family loves you. They didn't know what to say because you had been so strong about the way you were feeling all this time and hadn't shown anyone even the slightest clue of how you felt. You have to believe that yourself. They wouldn't have stayed quiet if they had had even one hint of how you felt about the second time you were kidnapped. They didn't know all the details and I doubt that you told any of them how you felt. Did you?"

"No." She dropped her head. "Now I feel bad that I didn't try to get them to speak up after I finished. Instead of running off like some spoiled little girl who wasn't getting her way."

"Don't you do that," Heath scolded. "It wasn't your place to ask them to speak up. Granted, you may not have handled it the best way but it was not your place to ask them what they thought about what you said."

"But I should not have run off."

"I'll agree with that one, Karen. But you should never have had the question of what they thought about what you said. That is on their shoulders not yours."

"He's right, Karen. We never should have let you question what we were thinking. You thought the worst and acted on it. And we didn't even try to stop you. We didn't realize what we did wrong until Mrs. Barkley looked at each of us directly and asked us what we were trying to do." Adam stepped into the room. "We should have made sure that you understood that we were proud of you. You tried so hard to deal with what you were feeling on your own. That takes courage. The type of courage that a fifteen year old whether boy or girl is not normally expected to have. But you did. And you dealt with it on your own for almost a year. What you told us last night should have been greeted with congratulations and not stone silence. You have made every one of us more proud than we have ever been of anything or anyone that I can remember."

"The same holds true for me, Karen," Hoss said, walking into the room as well. He was followed by Little Joe and Ben. Each and every one of them agreed with Adam that they should have told her the night before that they were proud of her and the way she had worked so hard to deal with what she was feeling on her own.

"But, Karen, I also want you to know that you never had to deal with it on your own. If you would have said something to any one of us, we would have come together as a family and helped you through it. No questions asked. That's what family does." Ben's words were greeted by his sons with hearty agreement.

"We would have made sure that you didn't feel like we blamed you for what they did. After all, you didn't ask them to touch you like that. We know better than to think that way. After all, no Cartwright woman would ever want to be treated like that. We all know better than that," Hoss said with an emphatic nod. The others all agreed.

Karen's hand came up to her forehead. She was feeling a headache coming on and it wasn't going to be an easy one. Heath moved to sit next to her on the bed. "Karen?" he asked gently, touching her other hand.

"Headache. And I think it's going to be a big one."

"Well, you did hit your head pretty hard last night," Little Joe said, keeping his voice as low as he could while the others had gone quiet. Hoss slipped out of the room and went to tell the rest of the Barkley clan that Karen had a headache and would need plenty of quiet for a while. Ben stayed back as Little Joe leaned in and gently kissed his sister's forehead. "You just rest now, little sister. We'll keep things quiet for you. And we'll check in later."

After he left the room, Adam was the next to leave after wishing his sister peaceful and healing sleep. Ben stepped up and kissed Karen on the forehead as gently as he could and smiled at her. "Rest easy, Karen. We're here and we'll take care of you." Then, he too had left the room.

Karen started sliding down in the bed from her sitting up position. Heath helped her to get situated and pulled the covers up around her, snugging the covers up around her.

"Sit with me for a bit, Heath? Just until I fall asleep?"

"Are you sure that would be okay? I don't want to upset your pa by doing that."

"If it keeps me happy, he won't worry about it. He knows that you won't try anything with my whole family within the walls of this house." She smiled sleepily at Heath and he felt his heart melt. She was so sweet.

"Then, I'll stay. At least, until you fall asleep."

She curled up and closed her eyes, quickly drifting into the realm of sleep and dreams. He sat there until he was certain that she was actually asleep and then leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. In no time flat, he was sound asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Victoria had gone walking through the Cartwright house, wondering where Heath was hiding. She knew that Karen was sleeping off a headache and was probably still suffering with it. But she just couldn't figure out where Heath was.

Opening the door to Karen's room, she decided to check in on the young woman just to make sure that she was okay.

Only to find the son she'd been looking for sleeping in the chair next to Karen's bed. She backed carefully out of the room only to see Ben walking down the hallway. He smiled at her and she gestured for him to come closer. He walked up and asked her quietly, "What is it, Victoria?"

"You know I've been looking for Heath?" He nodded. "Open the door."

Ben opened the door. When he saw Heath's head above the top of the chair, he smiled and pulled the door shut. "I'll be. He's sitting there sleeping next to her. I never would have thought I'd see the day."

"I think he's been very good for her and she's been good for him too. And I think they could go a long way together."

"I wouldn't be surprised at all by that. And I think that they make a good match. Heath is wise for his young years."

"He didn't live an easy life before he came to us. And he hasn't exactly been coddled since he came. I'm afraid none of his siblings made things easy on him. But he's proven himself to each and every one of them. They've all accepted him now. He's as much a member of the family as any of them."

"I'm glad to hear that. I know at first that Jarrod and Nick had a hard time accepting him as their brother. I'm glad they've come around to him." Ben smiled at Victoria. "I think you and I should take this conversation somewhere else and let two kids sleep while they can. I don't think Heath's going to get a lot of sleep when you and the family go back home. I also don't think Karen's going to get a lot of sleep once she goes back to school, if she chooses to do so, thanks to what Annabelle put her through."

"If she doesn't want to go back to school, what will you do?"

"I'll let her stay home and attend a school closer to here. Somewhere that she can be home at night so that we're here for her. And if she wants to just take a year off to recover from everything, I'll work with that too."

Victoria and Ben turned and walked away from Karen's door. Neither one was aware that Heath had woken up each time the door had opened. He was well aware of both his mother and Ben at the door. He even knew exactly when they moved away from the door.

He sat up and checked on Karen. She seemed to be resting peacefully. He brushed a kiss across her forehead and sat back down in the chair. In just moments, he was sleeping as well. But he wasn't sleeping too heavily. He heard everything going on out in the hallway and was well aware of each person that walked by.

His brothers may have laughed if they had seen the way he was behaving but he didn't really care. He knew what he was feeling. He loved Karen Cartwright. There was no argument about it. He loved her and he wasn't afraid to admit it either. And he would do anything to make sure that she was safe and well and knew that she was loved.

Heath rested peacefully beside Karen's bed until she started stirring about two hours later. He sat up and watched as she stretched and looked around. Seeing Heath sitting next to her, she smiled sleepily. "Hi," she said softly.

"Hi. Do you feel better?" Heath was keeping his voice down just in case she still had her headache.

"Much. The headache is now just a dull throb. I'll be careful so that it doesn't come back. Or at least I'll have reason to hope it won't." She smiled at him.

"I'll stay close and make sure everyone understands that your headache isn't completely gone. That should help."

"Thank you, Heath. Can you help me get up from the bed and put my robe on so that I can go down to dinner. I wouldn't want to miss a meal just because of this headache."

Heath rose to his feet and took her arm, giving her something to lean on if she felt a little unsteady on her feet at first. Thankfully, she wasn't unsteady at all. She slipped her robe on and Heath walked her down to the dining room.

* * *

Ben stood up from the table as Karen and Heath approached. "How do you feel, Karen?" he asked gently.

"The headache is mostly gone, Pa. I think I'll be okay to join you for dinner."

"Are you sure, Karen?" Ben asked.

"I'm sure, Pa," she answered with a nod of her head. "I promise that, if it gets too bad, I'll excuse myself and return to my room to lay down."

"And I'll keep an eye on her, Mr. Cartwright. I don't mind."

"Thank you, Heath. I appreciate that." He turned to Hop Sing. "Hop Sing, will you switch things around so that Heath can sit next to Karen for dinner tonight? He's going to help keep an eye on her and make sure that if she needs to go lay down, she does it."

"You help take care Miss Karen?" Hop Sing asked.

Heath nodded. "I give my word."

Hop Sing nodded. "I change seats. Take just one minute." Hop Sing set to work and quickly and quietly got the seating arrangement changed around so that Heath was sitting next to Karen.

Heath held Karen's chair as she sat down and waited patiently for the others to join them at the table. Ben sat down at the head of the table and talked with the two younger people as they waited for everyone else to wash up and join them.

"Karen, I've been thinking. Are you planning on going right back to school?"

"I've been thinking about that, Pa. I think I'd like to go back at least long enough to take my finals and then take a little time off from school. Maybe a year or two. Maybe even find one closer to home. Make it a little easier to stay in touch with you and with everyone else. I was even thinking about looking at a school in Stockton."

Heath straightened up a little at hearing that. "I don't think there are any schools like that in Stockton."

"There are, Heath," came Audra's voice as she and Victoria walked into the room. Ben got up and held Victoria's chair first and then held Audra's as the ladies sat down at the table. "In fact, there are three different schools in Stockton. And any one of them would be a good match for Karen. One of them is quite close to the ranch. She could come to our home every weekend and spend time with us. Then, we could send her back home here for the summer."

"It sounds to me like you've been doing more than a little bit of thinking about this set up, Audra," Ben commented. He smiled at her to let her know that that was not something he considered a bad thing.

"Well, Karen has voiced her concern that she wished to finish school but she didn't wish to be so far away from home. She thought it would make it just a little more difficult on people to try to kidnap her if she was not at the school all the time through the year. Plus, having us nearby to check on her every now and again would deter anyone from trying to take her away like Annabelle did. One or more of us could visit her through the week at school and make sure that people know that she has people watching out for her."

"Karen? You thought about this?" Karen nodded, looking a little embarrassed. "I am very impressed with that. You've done very well. Thank you for talking to Audra about this."

"I wasn't sure how you'd take it, Pa. I know that you promised my mother that I'd get the very best education."

"But I also promised her that you'd be safe. And you getting kidnapped by Annabelle did not constitute you being safe. You have thought of a way that people will know that you are still protected, even though you aren't at home with us. Because I'm sure that the Barkleys would make it very well known that they would be in regular contact with us here and providing us with status updates on how you were doing. Not to mention, we could come and visit at some point during the year. Just to make sure you were doing okay."

"Certainly, Ben. We would make sure to telegram you at least once a month, more often if Karen just wanted to send you a notice of how things were going herself," Victoria's voice inserted. She wanted Karen to know that whatever she needed while at school, if she went close to Stockton, would be provided either by her own family or by the Barkleys.

"Thank you, Victoria. I think that we can discuss this further either after supper this evening or in the morning. What do you think, Karen?"

"I think that would be a good thing, Pa. I would like the chance to talk it over in greater detail after supper. May we involve the boys in the discussion as well? I would like to hear everyone's opinion on the idea."

"I think that would be wonderful, Karen. After all, we are a family and families make decisions together."

Just then, the boys started arriving for dinner. Adam, Hoss and Little Joe all greeted their sister with a hug and a kiss on her cheek. "Glad to see you could make it down for dinner, Karen," Little Joe said. He had been the first one to arrive at the table.

"Thank you, Joe. I'm glad I could too. That nap was just what I needed. However, can we try to keep things to a dull roar tonight at the table? I'd like to avoid the headache coming back if at all possible." The look on their sister's face told all of the Cartwrights that she really was worried about that headache making another appearance and it was something that she desperately wanted to avoid.

All of the boys, Barkley and Cartwright, agreed that keeping things fairly quiet at the table would be a good thing.

Hop Sing began bringing in the dinner and everyone ate in peace and quiet.

"I would like everyone to stay put after dinner. We have some things to discuss and I want everyone to have a say in the final decision," Ben said as dinner continued.

"Yes, Pa," came from the three Cartwright sons.

"Yes, sir," came from the three Barkley sons. Jarrod and Nick had no clue what was going on but they knew by looking at their brother that it was important to everyone. Which meant they weren't about to argue over sitting for a bit after dinner.

After Hop Sing had cleared away all the dishes, Ben stood up. "Now, I'm sure you're all wondering what this conversation is going to be like. Well, it will be nothing like the other night when we nearly lost Karen to our own inability to figure out what to say. This is going to be a much simpler conversation and when we finish everyone will be given the chance to speak their minds about it."

"Yes, sir," answered all six boys and Audra. Victoria nodded her assent as well. Ben looked at Karen.

"Your turn, Karen."

Karen stood, more than just a little nervous about this. Things hadn't gone so well the last time she had spoken at the dinner table. "I know that most of you have been wondering what I plan on doing about my education. I do want to continue it but I would prefer to not be so far away from family. I think it would be harder for anyone else wanting vengeance for some slight, real or imagined, that they blame the Cartwright family for to kidnap me if I stayed a little closer to home. So I have decided that I'm going to attempt to transfer from my school back east to a school near Stockton. Audra has told me about three different schools there and one is not far from the Barkley ranch so that I could possibly spend weekends there. Then, I could come home for summer and maybe even Christmas. I have decided that I want each of my brothers to have a say in this as well as the Barkley's. I would like to start with Pa." She turned to her father. "What do you think, Pa?"

"I think that this has been very well thought out. You have obviously been thinking about things like this for a while now. I am very proud of you to make this decision this way, Karen. You are every inch a Cartwright."

"Adam?" The one person outside of her father whose opinion meant everything to her.

"I agree with Pa. You have obviously put quite a bit of thought into this and I support your decision in whatever way you decide to go. In fact, I offer to return to the school back east and collect your things."

"Thank you, Adam. I appreciate that." She moved on. "Hoss?"

"I can't fault you on this decision, little sister. As both Pa and Adam have said, you've obviously thought this through quite thoroughly. I support your decision as well. And, if he wants, I'll go with Adam to collect your things from the school."

"I would definitely not argue with the company or the assistance, Hoss. Thank you," Adam said.

Karen smiled at Hoss. "Thank you, Hoss. That means a lot to me." She turned to Little Joe. "Little Joe?"

"You really have thought this out. And while I wish you didn't have to go away to school, I understand why you do. Virginia City just doesn't have the right kind of school for you, Karen. And I feel that being close to the Barkleys will afford you a significant piece of defense. It'll be much harder for anyone to snatch you ever again with the Barkleys helping to protect you. I support your decision."

"Thank you, Joe." She turned to the woman who headed the house she was asking to protect her. "Ms. Victoria?"

"I would be honored to have you close to us, dear. You are an intelligent girl and I would be happy to see you continue your education. And to have you come to our ranch for the weekends would be wonderful."

"Audra?"

"I say yes. Of course. You are a wonderful girl and we would be honored to have you grace our home while you are away from your own."

"Jarrod?"

"My honor, Karen. Another resounding yes."

"Nick?"

"I already look at you as a little sister, Karen. I say you are welcome in our home."

She looked at Heath, knowing that this was the one vote she most needed to help her make her decision. She didn't even need to ask the question. "Karen, I would be honored to have you so close. To have you in our home on weekends. To be there to watch over you for your family as well as for ourselves. I would consider it an honor if you would consent to me calling on you to escort you from school to the ranch on weekends."

She smiled shyly at Heath. "I think I would like that very much, Heath. Thank you." She turned to address the whole table. "Thank you all. This wasn't an easy decision but it was one that had to be made. I'll start looking into the schools near Stockton come Monday."

Karen sat down next to Heath and he reached out and took her hand. "Very well done, Karen. You handled that very well," Victoria told her from across the table.

"I agree. You handled things very well."

"Thank you, Ms. Victoria. Thank you, Pa. It helps that everyone supported me so much." She took a deep breath. Compared to the other night, that had been easy. It had been a simple matter of answering a question that she knew the others had been thinking for them and for herself.

And now, she would have lots of time to be around Heath after she went back to school. What could be better than that?


	10. Chapter 10

The following Monday, Karen sat down and started composing telegrams to the various schools in Stockton that she would be considering for the continuation of her education. She also composed a telegram to her school back east to explain why she was considering switching to a school closer to home and that it was not a poor reflection on the administration of that school.

Quite the contrary, she actually had nothing but praise for the school and its administration. It was not their fault that Anabelle had just been that good at deceiving people.

It took a very short time to receive responses from the schools in Stockton. All three seemed to be quite glad to have her considering their school.

She had almost fully decided on a school when Adam and Hoss went to the school back east to collect the rest of her things.

Violet Prentiss had been at the front door waiting on the two men when they arrived. "Thank you for coming for Karen's things. I am sorry that she is not returning to us this year. But I do understand her desire to remain closer to home after her ordeal. I would also like to apologize for believing that woman when she presented a letter that looked a great deal like Ben Cartwright's handwriting asking that Karen be released to her custody for a trip home."

"Anabelle Dastrovsky was good at fooling people. She fooled a lot of people back home about twenty years ago," Adam said.

"May I ask if the woman has been caught and punished for what she put poor Karen through?"

"Some renegade Indians caught her. They killed her and dumped her on our property. Unfortunately, Karen was one of the two that found her body. Our sister was heavily traumatized by the experience."

"Poor Karen!" Mrs. Prentiss exclaimed. She couldn't imagine what poor Karen had felt upon seeing the woman's body, laying there exposed.

"Karen was very upset over the whole thing. She is recovering from it though."

"She does plan on continuing her education then?"

"She does. She's just decided to stay a little bit closer to home for the remainder of it."

"Where is she considering? If I may be so bold as to ask."

"Stockton, California. There is a family there that our family is good friends with. They have offered her a place in their home for weekends. They also offer to watch over her at the school with visits of their own while she's there. They have a daughter who is a little older than Karen but the two are quite similar in personalities. They get along quite well."

"I'm so glad to hear that she is continuing her education. And that she has such good friends that will help watch out for her."

"Thank you, ma'am. We'll be sure to convey your best wishes to Karen when we return home."

"I appreciate that. Thank you. I'll show you to the room Karen was in. We took the liberty of placing several boxes in the room so that it would be easier to pack her things up. And if you like we can have a few people to help with the packing to make it quicker for you."

"That would be fine. Thank you. We would appreciate the help," Adam said. He wasn't kidding either. Both he and Hoss were more than eager to get this done and get back home to see if Karen had made a decision yet. Besides which they already missed their little sister.

* * *

Two weeks later, Adam and Hoss arrived back home with all of Karen's belongings from the school and cards from most of her schoolmates.

Karen and Ben were standing on the porch waiting for them when they arrived. Karen broke into a smile and ran to greet them.

Smiling, Adam rode toward her and slowed down just enough for her to grab his hand and swing up behind him. She wrapped her arms around her brother and hugged him tight. Hoss just smiled as he watched the two of them.

Karen had always been closest to Adam of all of her brothers. She loved them all but she and Adam seemed to share a special bond. Hoss never understood it but he accepted it. Little Joe did too and he understood it even less than Hoss did.

The two men pulled their horses up in front of the house and dismounted, Adam helping Karen down.

"Welcome home, boys," Ben said as his sons approached the porch.

"It's good to be home, Pa," Hoss said. Adam nodded his agreement.

"We missed all of you. We're glad that trip is over and we made it back home."

"Were there any problems?" Ben asked.

"None unless you want to count how many of the students asked us to tell Karen that they would miss her. We have cards from several of them who made them for you themselves." Adam smiled at his little sister. "You apparently had a number of friends at the school. Several of them were worried that you had been hurt."

"It was kinda hard to convince them that you were okay. Just wanted to stay a little closer to home," Hoss added with a nod.

"Well, I was hurt. But being around my family has made it all worth it. And I wouldn't change that for the world." She smiled. "You know, at first, so many of the girls thought that I was crazy to be glad that you all taught me so much about survival. But that was all made worth it when Anabelle took me. I mean, without those skills, I would have been unable to escape her and you would have had to bury me next to my birth parents."

"I for one am glad that we decided to teach you something about survival. As you said, it saved you when Anabelle took you." Adam's voice backed her up and she could see that both Hoss and Little Joe felt the same way as Adam did. She couldn't have been happier that her brothers actually agreed on this.

Now, she just had to make her decision as to which school she was going to attend and prepare to go.

AN: That is the end of this one. I am thinking about a sequel but it will take a little time to get it put together. Bear with me and I hope I can make it worth the wait.


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